Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents
by Sinayah
Summary: Harry and Co find they have a lot to learn in order to aid the fight against Voldemort. The return of someone who was dear to the Marauders leads to the truth of the past and an epic fight against the Darkness. P.S. Now heading into HD slash.
1. Default Chapter

****

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Prologue

It was 11:28 on the night of July 30th when Harry Potter opened his window to admit a lone owl bearing a letter and parcel. He looked out over the neighborhood, expecting to find more of the birds winging towards him, namely Errol and Pig, the two Weasley owls that usually brought his birthday presents from the family of redheads, but there were no more birds in evidence.

Thinking that the other owls would arrive soon and answering Hedwigs impatient hoot, the raven-haired teenager returned to his small bed and sat down in front of the beautiful snowy owl. Hedwig nudged the letter she had carried in her beak towards him before hopping up to sit on the package, a clear signal that he was to open and read the missive first. Nodding his acceptance, Harry unrolled the parchment and read.

__

Dear Harry, 

Professor Dumbledore told us that it would be unwise for us to send you your birthday presents individually under the circumstances. He also strictly forbid us to write down anything specific about the stuff that's going on in a letter and to keep correspondence to a minimum this summer. So, to ensure that you got all your gifts, we wrapped and marked everything before placing it in the box Hedwig brought with this letter. Now, don't think all is as it appears. Once we had everything in (no mean feat that!) we shrunk the box and its contents. The spell is set to enlarge after being given a password; think of the present Gred and Forge gave you in third year. As we said earlier, we're not allowed to give you any information about whats been going on in the WW but rest assured you'll know something more before the summer is over. Have a great birthday (or try at least!) 

All Our Love,

The Gang

Harry was not happy, to say the least, at being kept out of the information loop. Sighing with frustration, he tossed the roll of parchment onto his desk and untied the parcel from Hedwigs leg. Free of her burden, the owl flew up to his shoulder and rubbed her soft head against his cheek. Harry smiled slightly and leaned into the affectionate touch for a few moments before putting his box of presents on the floor and saying softly, "I solemnly swear I'm up to no good."

Responding to the password, the box doubled in size. Harry opened it up and just stared for a moment at the brightly wrapped presents. Deciding it would be easiest to open each one as he worked his way through the box, the emerald eyed teen reached in and pulled out a suspiciously book sized package. Verifying his guess with a quick look at the label 'Love from Hermione' he unwrapped the book which was entitled "Commonly Used Dueling Spells". The title sounded interesting but for the moment Harry was more interested in the note written on the blank inside of the wrapping paper that read "Hold the book by its spine and shake it…GENTLY!"

With raised eyebrows at the strange instruction from his book-loving friend, Harry followed her instructions and held his gift by its spine and shaking it gently. From between two of the pages fell a newspaper clipping. It was an article out of the Daily Prophet about a new Educational Decree that had just been passed by Minister Fudge. The decree gave the Ministry of Magic the power to place a teacher in any position left open at Hogwarts at the beginning of the school year. At the end of the article was Hermiones' final message, "HE isn't twinkling over this."

Setting the article aside to ponder later and sending a silent thanks to his friend for once again breaking a rule to help him, Harry moved on to the next package. It turned out to be a dozen chocolate frogs from Ron with another note. This one said, "Check your cards, If you get Circe again save it for me, I lost mine." Knowing that Ron had at least five Circe trading cards, Harry took the note to be another clue and quickly found that one chocolate frog box had a C underlined as the name Circe had been in the note. He opened the box and caught the animated frog in one hand while reaching for the card with the other.

The back of the Circe card had another piece of smuggled information for him. Over the general information about the witch pictured on the front was a short message in Rons' handwriting, "The adults are guarding something." Once again, Harry blessed his devious friends for sneaking him information despite the trouble they would be in if they were caught. The teen had known that his headmaster planned to do something to prepare for Voldemorts second rise to power after his rebirth just a month earlier; but the old wizard seemed keen to keep him in the dark, which Harry thought was extremely unfair seeing as it was _his _head the Dark Lord wanted on a platter.

Unsurprisingly, there were no more clues or pieces of information hidden in the rest of his presents. From Sirius he'd received a knife that would supposedly open any lock. Fred and George had sent some of their new pranks, and Ginny had surprised him with a new quill she had made from one of Hedwigs feathers collected during the birds last molting.

The last presents to be opened were from the adult Weasleys and Remus Lupin. Mrs. Weasley had baked him a cake with 'Happy Birthday Harry' written in icing on top. Mr. Weasley had provided candles and a muggle lighter, the latter with a two-word note attached that said "Muggles – Ingenious!" Harry laughed lightly and set the gifts aside for the moment so that he could remove the last present from the packing box.

Wondering what his former professor had sent, Harry eagerly unwrapped the box. There was a short note taped to the outside that read, "I found these a few months ago and thought they'd make a good birthday gift…enjoy!" Even more curious now, the teen opened the box and removed two framed wizarding photographs.

The first was in a group setting. Harry saw both his parents, his godfather, and their friend Remus, along with a raven haired, violet-eyed woman he'd never met who he supposed was another friend of his parents. Since a wizard camera took the picture it did not just show a still shot. Instead Harry was treated to a thirty-second scene. The picture showed his father laughing hysterically at his very pregnant mothers' attempts to extricate herself from the couch she was sitting on. Glaring at her husband, Lily Potter sat back and said something to the dark haired woman who was sitting beside her. The woman nodded and withdrew her wand from a wrist sheath. A quick swish and flick later, and it was his mother and her friend laughing while James Potter stood before them wearing nothing but his boxer shorts.

Harry laughed at his fathers' embarrassment while the scene replayed itself from its frame. Sitting it carefully aside on his now cluttered desk, the messy haired boy looked down at the second photo. It showed his mother, red hair and emerald eyes glowing in the moonlight coming through the window. She was sitting in an antique rocking chair with a newborn baby Harry cuddled on her shoulder as she patted his back and rocked him to sleep. Unbidden, a tear slid down the teenagers cheek as he watched his mother rock him. This picture, he decided, would reside on his bedside table while he was at school; and be locked safely away in his trunk with his other treasured possessions while he was at the Dursleys.

After watching the scene of his mother and himself a few more times, this picture too was placed carefully on his desk. Reaching into the box that had held the photos, he extracted the last of his birthday presents. A roll of parchment sat on top of what could have been another framed photograph but wasn't. The frame, if you could call it that, was lacquered black and set in the center was a clear stone that appeared to be filled with the same silvery fluid as Professor Dumbledores penseive had been. Laying the strange object down in front of him, Harry picked up the parchment that had come with it. Unrolling it he found a letter from Professor Lupin.

__

Dear Harry,

I hope you've enjoyed my gifts so far, but I think I've saved the best for last. This is what you might call a mini penseive. Made only to hold one memory, that can be played as often as you want. This mini penseive was made for you when you were six months old. It accidentally got left in my home the last time your parents visited with you before they died. Now I'll tell you the rather humorous reason behind your needing one at such a young age. You see, most of the time you were an angelic child, but you had your moods just like anyone else, and when these moods hit there were only two people who could soothe you. Those people were your mother and your godmother, and great Merlin did you ever throw a fit if they weren't available when you wanted them! When you started teething (and we'll talk about THAT later!) you were especially prone to those cranky moods and so your father bought the mini penseive and had your mother and godmother stand together in your room and sing your favorite lullaby while your father watched so that he could immediately place the memory into the penseive and seal it so that we could play it whenever you needed it. 

Now, I'm sure you're anxious to try it, so I won't run on any further. This particular type of penseive plays its memory as a life size hologram so don't worry when your room suddenly changes. To activate it just press your finger to the stone and say "Play". I hope you enjoy it and have a wonderful birthday (well, I hope the Dursleys at least leave you alone.)

Your Friend,

Remus Lupin

This, Harry decided as he finished reading the letter, was probably the most special gift he'd ever received. A life sized memory of his mother singing for him whenever he wanted to hear it! He'd have to give Remus a huge thanks when he saw the werewolf next, and he'd ask about his godmother too since before now he'd never known he had one. Putting curiosity over this unknown godmother aside for the moment Harry placed the penseive on the floor in the middle of the room, touched the stone, and said "Play" before backing up to sit on his bed as the room changed around him.

He looked around the memory room, smiling but saddened, this was his nursery, and this was where his mother had died. There were two women in the room with him, and he smiled through his tears at seeing his beautiful mother, smiling and happy as she stood with the raven-haired woman who'd literally hexed the pants off his father in the first of the photos Remus had given him. Physically his godmother was the most ethereally lovely woman he'd ever seen, but as the two women stood together and began to sing he had eyes only for the earthy beauty of the redhead who'd given him life.

Harry quickly realized that the lullaby they were singing was not in English. It was no language he'd ever heard before. It was an ancient language, and as he listened he realized that while his mother knew the words of the song, she didn't understand what she was singing about, though it was obvious his godmother did. Logical thinking soon left him though, as he was caught up in the music. The sound was immensely soothing, and the unknown language of the song didn't nag at him as it usually did when he heard something in another language. Their voices rose and fell, one would fade into the background and then the other, like an intricate dance of sounds. It seemed to go on forever, but finally the women's voiced melded one last time and lowered together in volume until the last few lines came as a whisper and stopped. The green eyed boy watched the memories of his mother and godmother turn and smile at each other before facing him once again and whispering, "Sleep now Harry-love." before fading away along with the nursery room.

Sighing, Harry rose from his bed and placed the penseive in his trunk, padding it with his school robes and then putting his other gifts in with it, except for the cake, candles, and lighter. Those he left on the desk, and after shutting and locking his trunk, he sat down on the low stool that acted as his desk chair. He placed fifteen candles around the outside of the cake and lit them one by one. "If birthday wishes really can come true then all I want is someone to love me like my parents did, like my mum did." He whispered, before blowing out the candles. And as the young man changed into his pajamas, turned off the light and laid down under his threadbare blanket, the red and gold plumed phoenix who'd been watching him all evening from under its self induced invisibility nodded in agreement and took wing into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 1

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Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 1

As Fawkes winged away from the house at Privet Drive, towards a place that was definitely not his home at Hogwarts with his chosen companion Albus Dumbledore, the phoenix thought hard about the actions of his chosen that had prompted his visit to Harry Potter and this subsequent new journey. 

The magical bird had been with his chosen wizard for many years, and he was usually quite content in his life and happy with the decisions Albus made concerning those under the elderly wizards' care. Such had not been the case almost fourteen years ago, and it was not the case now. Fawkes' companion had made a dreadful error in the past, and the bird had done nothing to prevent it then, but he was going now in hopes of rectifying the damage done and preventing any more because of Albus' more recent mistakes.

Looking down towards the ground and seeing no sign of human habitation, Fawkes judged that he was far enough away from Surrey to avoid being seen and willed himself to become visible once more. Now that his magical abilities could be otherwise directed, the brilliant red and gold phoenix disappeared in a burst of flame.

* * * * * * * * * *

When Fawkes reappeared a few moments later, in another part of the world, he found himself facing the business end of a wand. Squawking in surprise and indignation while dearly hoping he wasn't about to be hexed into oblivion, he landed on a perch usually reserved for owls in the home of a long time friend, the only witch he'd ever known who could converse with him. 

"Great phoenixes feathers Drakkara! I know we haven't seen each other in a while but do I really deserve to be hexed for it?" Though to an ordinary person, muggle or magical, his words sounded as the melodious trilling of his kind, the raven haired, violet eyed woman still holding her wand on him understood as clearly as if he'd been speaking English.

She made an irritated sound in her throat, while replacing her wand in its wrist sheath. "As you said Fawkes, we haven't seen each other in years. I'm no longer used to having a bird appear in a flash of fire right in front of my face, I was just surprised. Would you like some water or food? I don't have any of your favorites, but I'm sure Narasi and Vrisan wouldn't mind giving you one of their mice."

If a phoenix could look disgusted, then Fawkes surely did. "No offense to your guardians, but I'd rather not. I could use some water though if you don't mind, I've just apparated all the way from England." The bird replied softly, wondering how he was going to explain the happenings of the past few years to his friend, knowing she'd be ready to murder his chosen before he finished the story.

Drakkara nodded and left the room briefly, returning with a large dish of clear water and a cup of tea. The tall woman sat the dish on her coffee table along with her tea and settled herself on the couch. Gesturing to her avian guest to land on the table and have his drink, she spoke again. " So, what brings you here after all these years my friend? Surely you didn't apparate from England to Spain just to visit?"

After landing and taking several sips from his water dish, the phoenix moved again and perched himself on the couch beside the lovely woman. His black eyes were sad as they met the bright purple of his friends', and he loosed an avian sigh before beginning. "I have much to tell you Drakkara, and none you'll enjoy hearing, but I beg you to let me tell the story in full and allow my aid in deciding what to do next."

"I have always listened to your council Fawkes; tell me now what troubles you so, and we'll work to fix whatever is wrong." A smile lit her delicate features as she spoke, and a pale hand reached out to stroke over his feathers in a soothing way. Her words and gentle touch comforted the bird and he began his tale.

"Yes, you've always listened to my advice, and to the advice of my chosen; but I'm afraid that the last council you took with us led to the great despair of all concerned. Since that evening, when Albus sent you into hiding and let the world believe you dead, things have gone horribly astray from the path we hoped they would." 

The phoenix continued speaking, his song sad as he told of Sirius Blacks' capture and twelve year imprisonment for a crime he didn't commit, and of Remus Lupins' grief and estrangement from the wizarding world after losing all he held dear in one night. And lastly he told the story of Harry Potter, from the moment his friend had last held her godson, through his troubled childhood with an aunt and uncle who despised him, to his discovery of the wizarding world and his fame.

Fawkes told Drakkara of the child's adventures in his first year as he had heard them from his chosen. Of the small boys sorrows in second year when his classmates believed he was setting a monster loose on them, and his brush with death to save his best friends sister from the beast. The tale of Harry's third year was happier for the discovery of his long lost godfather and the werewolf who'd been his professor, but no less dangerous than his previous adventures. 

Last of all the magical bird told of Harry's fourth year and the tri-wizard tournament, ending with the horrors the boy had faced in the graveyard of Little Hangleton, the rebirth of Lord Voldemort, and the recalling of the Death Eaters. When he had finished his long story, Fawkes flew back to the table and took another long drink before daring to look into the face of his friend.

Drakkara Vanimaer, best friend of the late Lily Evans Potter, former fiancée of the werewolf Remus Lupin, and godmother of Harry Potter was seething with anger underneath her tears of grief for her loved ones. "How?" she cried, "Why? How could Albus have let all this happen? He should've sent you to me the moment Siri was captured! I knew he wasn't their secret keeper! Lily told me about the last minute switch; she wasn't happy with it at all. And why in the name of all that's good in this world did he ever tell Remy I was dead? We agreed that he should know the truth, even if no one else did! Harry's been all alone in this world for fourteen years, left with that awful sister of Lily's, thinking that there was no one left who loved him. My god Albus what have you done?"

"Drakkara," Fawkes called softly, bringing the woman away from her grief, "I visited Harry tonight, just before I came here. I saw him open his presents alone; your mate sent him some pictures and a single memory penseive of you and his mother singing. Someone sent him a cake and he made a wish before going to bed. He wished for someone to love him like his mother did."

The phoenix glided over and sat on his friends' knee, looking up into her tear streaked face. "It's time to fix the mistake we made all those years ago my friend. Harry needs you, your loved ones need you, and I need you. I fear that without you our world is in great peril, for Albus' wisdom seems to be failing at every turn. My chosen needs to be shown that he is not omniscient, and that his choices aren't always the right ones. It might shock him back into sense if you were to return and take things in hand. If after hearing my story, you're still willing to listen to my council, then my advice is this: Pack up your things and come back to Hogwarts with me. Speak with my chosen and then go to Harry and give him his wish."

Drakkara looked at the magnificent bird perched on her knee, seeing in his onyx eyes the wisdom of ages and the genuine concern and sorrow he felt for the events of the past. A slender, long fingered hand reached out and stroked his soft plumage and she sighed deeply before replying. " I will take your council Fawkes, what else could I do after hearing all this? If for no other reason, I would go back for Harry, and for Remy and Siri. Though if Voldemort were still nothing more than an evil spirit I would simply take my loved ones and return to hiding with them."

The woman picked up her teacup and drained it of the now cold liquid. Then she set her arm in front of her bird friends' feet and set him upon her shoulder. "It won't take me long to pack the essentials, I wasn't planning on staying here much longer anyway." Standing, she took both cup and water dish back into the kitchen and then proceeded to her bedroom. "Hop off Fawkes, Vrisan and Narasi are in their tank with their daughter Siranev, you can give them a run down on whats happening while I change and pack up."

Fawkes took wing and glided over to a large glass tank where three snakes were coiled and resting. They were truly lovely serpents, as rare in beauty as the woman they guarded. Inky black scales covered their heads and backs, with a diamond pattern of violet and green shimmering amid the darker background. When the two larger serpents raised their heads to greet the bird, one could see an underbelly of shining silver.

These two adult snakes were the aforementioned Vrisan and Narasi, who were Drakkara's familiars, guardians, and friends. The two rare magical serpents had been with their chosen since long before Fawkes had made the woman's acquaintance. Their breed were known as Parsels', and from that name was derived the name of the snake language Parseltongue and the name of those humans gifted with knowledge of the language, Parselmouth. 

Being magical creatures, the phoenix and serpents had no trouble speaking to each other, and greeted each other as friends long parted. Vrisan and Narasi introduced the large bird to their single offspring and all four were quickly involved in a discussion of the past happenings and the plans that had been made for the immediate future.

While the animals spoke among themselves, Drakkara was not idle. She quickly picked out some clothing designed to impress and laid the items on her bed along with the accessories she planned to wear with them. Then she stepped over to the large trunk resting at the foot of her bed. It was a multi chambered trunk of dark mahogany, and set with ten stones along the front of the lid, and a larger stone on the top. Pressing her hand to the top stone she softly commanded the trunk, "Separate."

In an instant, one trunk became ten, each with a single stone in place of a keyhole. The raven-haired woman quickly opened all ten trunks, showing chambers of different dimensions in each, all with specific purposes. Stepping back from the long row of trunks, Drakkara removed her wand from its sheath and waved it in a clockwise circle over her head three times, encompassing the entire house before slashing the wand down and across, pointing at each of the trunks as she commanded, "Pack."

Objects of different sizes began flying into the room in an orderly fashion and arranging themselves in the different trunks according to what they were. While her magic worked to stow away her possessions Drakkara moved to the glass tank and removed its occupants to the bed so that they wouldn't be packed with their resting-place. Fawkes too moved to the bed and continued conversing with the serpents as their friend took her fresh clothing into the adjoining bathroom to change.

Slipping out of the night robe she'd been wearing, Drakkara took a quick shower and dried herself off. After using magic to dry her long, thick midnight tresses, the lovely woman donned her fresh clothing. She'd chosen the outfit to impress upon Albus Dumbledore that she was not a woman to argue with, just in case he'd forgotten that fact. 

Her blouse was of a silver material, and was actually made from the hide of a cold-drake she'd come across in her travels. It had taken much time and effort to make the sleeveless blouse, but the finished product was well worth the work, as a cold-drakes hide would reflect even very powerful spells.

The next item she pulled on was purely for modesty's sake. A pair of forest green lycra leggings, as the lighter green ankle length skirt she wore over them was rather sheer, but again reflected powerful spells as the material was produced from crushed fibers of dragon scales. Her footwear was a pair of simple flat-soled silver sandals with lacings that criss-crossed her feet to the ankle. Next, a black leather belt holding sheathed twin knives carved from the fangs of a basilisk was draped over her rounded hips. Lastly, she combed her long hair back and twisted it into an intricate figure eight at the back of her head and secured it with a pair of ivory sticks, the upper halves carved into serpent heads with tiny emeralds for eyes.

Nearly ready, Drakkara stepped out of the bathroom and surveyed the bedroom, looking into the opened trunks when she saw that her possessions were no longer flying around. Seeing that each trunk was now thoroughly packed, and the only things that remained outside were the furniture that had come with the house when she rented it, and the four magical creatures still conversing on her bed, she nodded with satisfaction and closed each trunk.

She laid her hand on the lid stone of the middle trunk and said, "Combine." As quickly as they'd separated, the ten trunks merged again into a single trunk with ten chambers. The trunk was then shrunken to the size of a small suitcase that she lifted by the handle and carried to the bed where she draped a black velvet travelling cloak about her shoulders and raised the hood before speaking to her animal friends.

"Alright my friends, time to go." The two adult serpents glided up their companions' arms and coiled again around her biceps as if they were living armbands. Siranev, the youngest and smallest, coiled delicately around the woman's right wrist, and Fawkes lifted himself up to her left shoulder.

The phoenix pushed aside the hood of Drakkaras' cloak and nuzzled his soft head against her cheek, silently expressing his gratitude for her willingness to return to Hogwarts and do what she could to make things right. "Drakkara, I believe it's about three o'clock in the morning in England now, and Albus will be well and truly asleep. Why don't you apparate us to Hogsmeade and we'll have a nap at the Three Broomsticks before we go shock the twinkle out of my chosens' eyes." There was a definite tone of anticipation in the birds voice, and the woman chuckled, knowing Fawkes could hardly wait to see Albus' face when the old wizard realized his familiar had gone over his head, so to speak.

"No doubt the Three Broomsticks will be closed at this time of night, and I absolutely refuse to step inside the Hogs Head. I'll take us to the Shrieking Shack instead; it should do for our needs. Ready?" She replied candidly. The large bird tightened his clawed feet a bit on her shoulder and the three snakes clenched their muscled bodies around her arms and wrist in answer. Violet eyes closed as Drakkara pictured in her mind the outside of the shrieking shack as she'd last seen it. Grasping her shrunken baggage tightly, she gathered her magic around her, encompassing her trunk and the four magical creatures within her aura. Long distance apparating was difficult at best, but with the power of both magic and will, the woman and her companions vanished with a slight pop.


	3. Chapter 2

****

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 2

Successfully completing the difficult apparation and checking to make sure her friends had come through in good condition, Drakkara sighed when she remembered that the doors and windows of the Shrieking Shack were boarded heavily against entry and exit. She took her wand from its sheath and muttered the reductor curse under her breath while pointing at the front door. Swearing at the noise, the woman stepped over the rubble and into the dilapidated cottage. Another quick spell returned the door to its previous state and she made her way into the single bedroom.

Drakkara grimaced at the dust and grime and used her wand once more, this time to remove the dirt from the broken down bed. "Merlin but that was exhausting. Remind me not to long distance apparate again for a while. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to take a nap before we meet with Albus. I want all my strength about me today, I can already tell its going to be difficult."

"Don't worry my friend, I will stay with you today and do what I can to help you through. Take your rest now and I will wake you when it is late enough to find my chosen in his office." Fawkes answered, settling himself on the footboard of the bed. Narasi and Vrisan hissed their agreement with the large bird, stating that they would remain coiled about her arms for the time being. 

Drakkara couldn't help but smile as she drifted off to sleep. The coming day might be one of the most difficult of her life, but it would also bring her family back to her, and the raven haired woman would be damned if she'd let anything separate her from those she loved again. Watched over by the crimson and gold phoenix, the weight of her companions on her upper arms reassuring her, the lovely woman fell into dreams that kept the smile on her face even in sleep.

* * * * * * * * * * *

It was a desperate need to empty her bladder that woke the delicate featured woman several hours later. The need was exacerbated by the large, heavy bird who'd taken it upon himself to walk all over her lower abdomen. "Argh," she growled crankily, "Get off you overgrown goose!" Fawkes retaliated to the insult by jumping on her bladder once more before flying back to his makeshift perch.

The phoenix let out a chirping laugh as his human friend raced for the bathroom and called; "I'd almost forgotten how humorous it can be to wake you up my friend! Tidy yourself up quickly. Albus is awake and in his office at the moment, having a meeting with your former transfiguration mistress. I think we should talk a bit more before apparating in."

Ten minutes later Drakkara came back into the bedroom, still grumbling about how annoying it was to have a large talking bird as an alarm clock. Holding up a hand to forestall any conversation, the tall woman drew her wand and conjured a steaming mug of coffee. Bringing it to her cupids bow lips, she blew across the top lightly before taking a sip and sighing in satisfaction as the first hit of caffeine made its way into her system. "So, the old bastard is having a meeting with McGonagall. What did you need to talk to me about?"

"While you were sleeping, a thought occurred to me. Albus has had trouble over the last few years keeping a DADA teacher. Since Harry came to the school it's been one nightmare after another. One had Voldemort attached to the back of his head; one was a glory-seeking peacock, not to mention a fraud. Remus Lupin was excellent until the students found out about his lycanthropy, and the latest was a Death Eater impersonating a paranoid ex-auror. We seem to have had a run of people who are dangerous to your godson."

Sipping at her coffee, Drakkara considered what her friend had said before replying. "You want me to take the position for this year don't you?" she asked finally. The thought hadn't occurred to her previously, but she did have the qualifications.

The phoenix spoke her thought aloud, "I remembered that you had taken a Mastery in DADA, as well as a teaching certificate. I told you last night about Albus defying the Ministry. Well I forgot to mention that the pompous windbag Fudge has passed a decree giving the Ministry the right to appoint a teacher to any positions still open at the beginning of term. Albus and Minerva are discussing what to do about this, since it seems every qualified teacher except Remus Lupin has refused to take the job, and the board of governors won't allow Remus to return unless its with another qualified teacher to work with him."

"Quite a dilemma your companion finds himself in. But what else could he expect of Minister Fudge when he so openly defied him. Your idea has merit Fawkes; at least we know that I wouldn't attempt to kill Harry. I'll talk to Albus about it. Thank you for the suggestion. Now, I don't know about you, but with a cup of coffee in me I'm quite ready to face off with your chosen and make some demands." Drakkara chuckled and rubbed her hands together with slightly sinister glee.

Fawkes laughed with her, though the sound was strange coming from a phoenix. He watched as his friend pulled her hood up and arranged her cloak so that her clothing and body shape couldn't identify her. The phoenix flew to her shoulder and landed gently. "Do you need a visualization?" he asked politely and at the nod of her head sent a mental picture of the headmaster's office as viewed from just inside the doorway.

Once again Drakkara gathered her magic and encompassed her luggage and animal friends within it, preparing for another type of difficult apparation. For she was not going to appear outside the wards of the school and walk up; No, she was planning to apparate directly into the headmasters office, through the heavy wards. This feat was supposed to be impossible, but Drakkara had learned many years ago that what was impossible for most people did not always apply to her. With a mental and magical push, the strange company disappeared yet again.

* * * * * * * * * * *

When the five friends arrived in the headmasters' office a second later, they quickly found themselves in the same situation Fawkes had been in earlier. A soft popping noise had announced their arrival and both Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall had immediately drawn their wands and aimed them at the intruders. Drakkara raised her empty hands in a gesture of peace and spoke softly, but with confidence. "I apologize for startling you both, but I assure you I mean no harm. Please notice that I appeared with Fawkes perched on my shoulder, you should both realize that he would never bear to be carried by someone who sought to harm his chosen. Please, put your wands away so that we can talk."

The older witch and wizard lowered their wands slowly, but kept them in hand as a precaution. "Who are you, and how did you manage to apparate through the schools wards?" The headmaster demanded, his voice firm, blue eyes hard. He watched closely as the woman walked closer, stopped in front of his desk, and reached up to unclasp her cloak.

At the same moment Drakkara unclasped her cloak and raised her hands to throw back the hood, Fawkes took wing, grasping the cloak in his talons, and whipped the covering off to reveal his friend. The bird swiftly dropped the cloak over a chair and returned to Drakkaras' shoulder as she lifted her head and looked his chosen in the eye. "I'm surprised you didn't recognize me by voice alone Headmaster. And you should know by now that what most people consider impossible is not always so for me."

At the sight of the tall woman before them, both the headmaster and his deputy headmistress fell gracelessly back into their seats, shock written across their faces. "Great Merlin." Albus breathed, "Drakkara." And the transfiguration teacher echoed her colleagues' sentiments, "But you're supposed to be dead! You disappeared fourteen years ago!"

The younger witch seated herself casually and crossed her legs before replying, "Yes, I did disappear, though the rumors of my death were rather exaggerated. Albus, I believe you should explain to the professor just why I vanished that night. And then you can explain to me just why you allowed the lives of my loved ones to go to hell from that point to this." Anger, icy as the north wind was laced through her words and the wizened old wizard suppressed a shiver in response.

"Drakkara, you shouldn't have come out of hiding, especially not now. Do you have any idea whats been happening this last month?" He replied, knowing deep in his heart that the womans reappearance meant trouble for him. His blue eyes took in her radiant form as he waited for her answer. She had always been an ethereally beautiful woman, and fourteen years of aging seemed to have barely glanced off her delicate face. Midnight black hair that had not been touched with silver, piercingly bright violet eyes set in a pale, aristocratic face. She was tall and slender, with the generous curves of womanhood, and the grace with which she moved belied her formidable strength. 

She was sitting now, casually confident, her guardian serpents present as ever upon her arms, and his phoenix perched on her shoulder. Albus knew that the bird had something to do with the sudden reappearance of the powerful woman, and he anticipated giving his familiar a long lecture later. 

The raven-haired woman leaned forward slightly in her chair as she began her reply in a tightly controlled voice. "As a matter of fact I do know whats been happening Albus. Fawkes came to me late last night and told me exactly whats happened since I left this office the night after James and Lily died. I left on your council old man, with your assurances on the safety and welfare of my loved ones. Now I find that Harry has been forced to endure a life with those despicable muggles, Remus kept himself in exile for years after losing all he held dear in one fell swoop, and Siri spent twelve years in Azkaban for a crime he didn't commit and is now on the run from the Ministry."

Drakkaras' violet eyes were glowing with the force of her anger, though otherwise she was perfectly composed. "All these things could have been avoided had you sent Fawkes to me the moment things went astray. You have much to answer for Albus Dumbledore, and I suggest you start now."

Dumbledore realized in that moment just how great were his wrongs against this woman and those she held close to her heart, but he held fast to his reasons for not calling her back. "Drakkara, when you came to me, mere hours after witnessing Lily and James deaths and Voldemorts attempt on young Harry's life, you were holding onto your control by a thin thread. You have an unbelievable amount of power within you, and no control over it at that point. You came to me covered in the blood of twenty Death Eaters and asked for my aid. I counseled you to what I thought was best, and when the plans we spoke of began to go awry, I felt that I if I called you back you would lose that thin strand of control and fall again into mad rage."

He held out his thin, age spotted, wrinkled hands toward the younger witch in a gesture asking forgiveness. "I have no other excuse for my actions. Once Sirius was in Azkaban I had no one else whom I could entrust with Harrys' care, and I'm sorry to say that I believed Sirius guilty as much as everyone else did. I debated with my conscience long and hard before I spoke to Remus and told him I believed you dead, and here is where I apologize for a grave mistake on my part." The old man looked into her unusually shaded eyes and found them bright with unshed tears. After taking a deep breath, he continued.

"We had agreed that he would be told the truth of the situation, but at the time we believed he would have both Sirius and Harry to help him overcome his grief at your leaving. How then, after losing everyone, including Sirius and Harry, could I tell him that you had nearly lost yourself in darkness and had left him willingly so that you could regain your control and at the same time avoid the remaining Death Eaters who were hunting for you. After he disappeared as well, I realized that rather than allow him to believe he had now lost everyone he cared for, I should rather have sent him to you with Fawkes as his guide and that together you might have both recovered your strength and been able to return to us." 

Finished with his explanation, the powerful wizard seemed to lose his formidable strength and was merely a very old man, holding his hands out in hopes of being forgiven. "I am sorry child, for the wrongs I have committed against you. It seems that the wisdom of age can, in desperate times, turn to foolishness. Forgive me my young friend, and tell me what I can do to help rectify the damage I've wrought."

Seeing the truth of his words in the sky blue eyes of her old headmaster and mentor, Drakkara rose from her seat and walked around the desk to kneel beside the old wizard. She took the hands he had offered and looked into his eyes as she spoke. "Only in the return to wisdom can we admit our mistakes old friend. If you will help me now to fix what has been damaged, then know yourself forgiven for my part. Set that abominable twinkle back in your eyes and lets talk now of what we will do to bring my family together again. After that is set in motion we will speak of darker issues, for I've returned to you stronger than I ever was, prepared again to assist you in the dark times ahead."

The old wizard smiled gently and tugged on the slender hands clasped in his. Drakkara rose and leaned forward to be embraced by her former headmaster, and returned his smile with one of her own. Separating after a few moments, the two then turned to Minerva McGonagall, who had remained silent up to this point. The older woman clasped her hands together and stated, "Well, I still don't understand exactly whats going on between the two of you, but I imagine I'll find out later. For now I'll say that I'm exceedingly glad that you are not dead Drakkara, and that you've come back to us when we need you most."

The violet-eyed woman took her seat again before replying, "Yes, you do seem to have quite a mess on your hands, don't you? One problem I think I can solve for you now. Fawkes had a rather good idea earlier this morning. If you'll have me, I'll accept the DADA post for the year, and hopefully Remus will join me. That will take the worry over the pompous windbag Fudge off your shoulders, and give Harry time to get to know me."

"My goodness!" Minerva exclaimed, "I'd forgotten you had a teaching degree, and a masters certification in DADA as well! Albus, there's no way the board or the ministry could refuse her the position!" The normally staid and unemotional woman was practically hopping in her chair with happiness. The worry over a new DADA teacher had weighed heavy on her mind since they'd gotten word of the new Educational Decree.

Albus too was smiling, eyes twinkling merrily as he anticipated Fudges' reaction on hearing that he would not be able to thrust some ministry official on them for the coming year. "Yes, that will do quite well. Consider yourself hired Drakkara. Minerva, I will have to be away most of the afternoon. I need to explain Drakkaras' return to Remus and Sirius, and prepare to re introduce her to the Order at tonight's meeting. Would you find some time this afternoon to draft a letter to the board of governors and the ministry board of education, stating that we have found a qualified teacher for the post to work with Remus Lupin if he agrees to return?"

The deputy headmistresses brown eyes filled with sinister glee as she replied, "I'll get to work on it at once Headmaster. Since the post is now filled, I believe our meeting can be adjourned. You have some things to discuss with Drakkara before you leave, so I'll go back up to my office and draft those letters." Minerva stood to leave, saying her good-byes, and couldn't resist taking the younger womans hand in an affectionate gesture before leaving the room.

"Well now," Albus said, sitting back in his chair, "Why don't you tell me what plans you and my beloved but traitorous familiar have come up with. I wouldn't mind hearing also, if you'll interpret for him, Fawkes explanation for his actions last night." His eyes twinkling with mischief as he attempted to sternly remonstrate his feathered friend.

Drakkara laughed and raised a hand to stroke the phoenix, who was still perched on her shoulder. "You'll have to forgive Fawkes, Albus. He only had the best intentions when he came to me. He wanted to make my Harry-loves' birthday wish come true, not to mention bring to you an advisor who'll keep you from making any grievous errors in dealing with our reborn enemy. In support of his actions I'll say this, you told me once that if I couldn't trust in myself I should trust in those who loved me. Fawkes loves you dearly Albus, and he came to me with the hope that I could stop you from making a terrible mistake where Harry is concerned."

Dumbledore nodded, giving a smile to his phoenix, and gestured for the younger woman to continue. "The mistake he's afraid you're making is in keeping Harry in the dark about what's happening since Voldemorts return. I have to agree with him. Considering that Harry is the evil bastards main target, and has been for years, keeping Harry in the dark is only going to make him angry with you and more likely to get himself and his friends embroiled in another life threatening adventure."

"We mustn't forget that even though Harry is a child in body, he's had to grow up faster than others his age. He's faced Voldemort three times in the last four years, and each time he's handled the situation far better than many fully-grown wizards would. Where the dark lord is concerned, I believe Harry should be treated as an equal. Besides ourselves, Harry is the only person still living who's stood face to face with Voldemort and defied him openly. He deserves respect for those actions, not patronizing adults who tell him he's just a child." She finished her speech and sat back, drawing her wand to conjure up some much-deserved tea for herself and the headmaster.

Albus took the proffered cup of steaming liquid with a nod of thanks and considered the opinions his young friend had offered for both herself and his familiar. "You're right of course, I hadn't seen it from that perspective." The old man called the crimson and gold bird over to him and stroked the bright plumage. "I thank you Fawkes, for bringing our friend back and preventing me from making another mistake. If ever you disagree with me again, please don't hesitate to let me know. Having Drakkara back with us will most definitely make communication between us easier."

The old wizard sat quietly, petting his companion lovingly for a few moments. Fawkes turned his head and trilled at Drakkara, asking her to pass a message to his chosen. "He says that he will do as you ask, and sends assurance of his love for you." The witch interpreted easily. She sipped quietly at her tea while Albus and Fawkes enjoyed each other's company, waiting until they were ready to continue.

Eventually, the phoenix returned to his perch on the womans shoulder and began a conversation that Albus could only watch with wonder, not understanding the meaning of the phoenix song or the strange language that Drakkara spoke when she conversed with the magical bird. "Drakkara, we should go soon to retrieve Harry I think." The phoenix began.

"How do you think we should go about it my friend? I doubt that Harry will trust me on sight, though you said he saw me in his penseive last night. And if I'm going to retrieve him from the Dursleys' I need some place to take him. Have you any suggestions?" The woman replied.

Fawkes considered for a moment before speaking again. "The Order is using a large home as its new headquarters. I believe you and Harry could stay there if Albus will tell you where it is, it's under a Fidelius charm, so I can't just give you a visualization. As for gaining Harrys' trust in allowing you to take him from his relatives, I suggest you have my chosen write a letter for him. That, along with my presence, should convince Harry to trust that you came with Albus' blessing."

Drakkara nodded her agreement, "Alright then, that's the plan." She replied to the bird before switching to English and speaking to the headmaster. "Fawkes believes that I should go to Harry with a letter from you to assure him that he can trust me. I hope you won't mind my borrowing your familiar for a while longer, he says that his presence will reassure Harry that I did indeed come from you. Also, he suggests that you tell me the location of the new Order headquarters so that I can bring Harry there for the rest of the summer." She recounted her previous conversation.

The headmaster nodded his agreement and replied, "Yes, that was what I was thinking. Harrys' friends Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger are both staying at headquarters for the summer, and their support will help him get through learning and accepting all we have to tell him." He took a piece of parchment from his desk as he spoke and began writing. "You do remember, I hope, how the Fidelius charm works? At the end of this letter I will write down the location of headquarters, I believe you'll recognize the address so that you can apparate nearby." 

A few minutes later he signed and sealed the letter and handed it to Drakkara, who slid it into a pocket of her cloak. "Thank you Albus. Is there anything else we need to discuss before I go?" She asked, nervous excitement in her voice as she realized that she'd soon be reunited with the child she loved as if he were her own.

"Hmm, just one more thing. Perhaps you could talk with Harry for a while before joining me at Headquarters. I'd like to explain things to Remus and Sirius before you arrive, and I fear that with their tempers it might take a while. Remus especially will be difficult after learning that I outright lied to him." The old man sighed, not looking forward to facing Remus and trying to explain himself. "Come, I'll walk down to the apparation point with you."

Drakkara stood and replaced her cloak about her shoulders, though she left the hood down, and Fawkes landed on her left shoulder again as she walked with the headmaster out of his office. They passed a few portraits and ghosts along the way through the castle, and each looked after them, stunned at the sight of the young woman who'd passed through their halls as a student years before.

When they reached the apparation point, just beyond the school wards, Albus turned to his young friend and gave one more instruction. "When you come to headquarters, please knock softly on the door rather than ringing the bell. We're having a bit of trouble with a rather loud and insulting portrait in the front hall. I'll try to have your friends calmed down by the time you arrive. I just hope they believe me."

The younger witch thought for a second before removing one of her knives from her belt and cutting a small lock of hair from the nape of her neck, gently pulling it out of the intricate bun, and handing it to the headmaster. "Give this to Remus if he doubts your story, he'll know it's freshly cut and that it came from me. I'll give you as much time as I can, though I don't know how long I'll be able to withstand the Dursleys' presence before I feel the need to transfigure them into toads. Be well Albus, I'll see you later this afternoon."

"Be well Drakkara, and good luck. I look forward to seeing you reunited with your family." The old wizard replied sincerely before disapparating with a pop. Turning slightly so that she could address the phoenix on her shoulder she asked, "Fawkes, can you give me a visualization?"

Fawkes gave her the mental picture needed for the jump, and said "This is a point just outside the wards my chosen placed around the Dursley residence, you don't need to tire yourself by going through another set of wards today. Besides, it will royally displease the muggles to see you come walking up the street dressed as you are, with an unusual bird on your shoulder." Both human and avian laughter sounded and lingered for a moment after they'd disappeared.


	4. Chapter 3

****

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 3

Drakkara and Fawkes reappeared at the corner of Privet Drive and walked confidently up the street, knowing they were attracting the attention of the Dursleys' nosey neighbors with the combination of the womans strange apparel and the large, brightly plumed bird perched on her shoulder. Suddenly, at the fence between number two and number four, the raven-haired woman stopped. 

The reason for her sudden halt was obvious. A teenage boy, short statured and too thin, wearing old clothing that could have comfortably held three of him, was walking into the front yard from the back, pushing a lawn mower in front of him. The young man had hair as dark as the woman watching him, and brilliant emerald eyes hidden behind unattractive black framed glasses. Drakkaras' eyes filled with tears as she drank in the sight of her godson. "Harry-love?" 

Harry Potter heard the softly spoken call of his name and turned. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw the dark haired woman from the penseive memory he'd first seen last night watching him with an expression of obvious joy and love on her face. He started to back away, shaking his head as if denying the vision of his godmother standing just a few feet in front of him. 

"Harry?" he heard her call again. "Please Harry, don't back away. I just came from Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore sent me." He looked at the woman again, and this time saw the familiar form of Fawkes perched on her shoulder. The phoenix trilled a comforting note and took wing towards the teen. The bird landed heavily on his shoulder and awkwardly attempted to tug him by his overlarge shirt towards the violet-eyed woman.

He took a cautious step forward under the phoenixes urging, and then another. The tall woman also took a few slow steps in his direction, moving cautiously as if she were afraid that a false move would frighten him. When there was a short two steps between the boy and the woman, Fawkes flew back to his friend and trilled at her. Slowly, she reached into the folds of her cloak and withdrew a letter. She offered it to the messy haired teen saying, "Here Harry-love. Professor Dumbledore gave me this for you, to explain who I am and why I'm here. I know you've been through hell this last month, but I promise you that you can trust me. Read the headmasters letter and then we can talk."

The boy took the letter and opened it after noting the wax seal was indeed the Hogwarts crest. It was a short letter, but reassuring.

__

Dear Harry,

First, I hope this letter finds you well, and recovering from the trauma of your last week at school. Now, I'd like to introduce you to the woman who gave you this letter. Her name is Drakkara Vanimaer, and she is your godmother. She has come to explain some things to you, and to bring you to spend the rest of the summer with your friends. 

Harry, I assure you that you can trust this woman with your life. She is a very dear friend of mine, and was your mothers' best friend from the moment they met until your mothers' death. I urge you to allow her to speak with you, and to take you from the Dursleys'. I hope to see you soon.

Albus Dumbledore

P.S. The location of the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix is 12 Grimmauld Place, London, England.

P.P.S. Please give this letter back to your godmother so that she can read the first post script and explain it to you. AD

He finished reading the letter and looked up at the lovely woman, "Umm, Miss Vani…Vanimeer? Professor Dumbledore said to give this back to you so you could read the post script, and that you would explain some things to me." He stumbled over the unfamiliar name and gave the woman a curious look.

Drakkara smiled as she took back the letter and read the last two notes. "Ah, yes I can explain that. But please, you don't need to call me by my surname; it's rather hard to pronounce unless it's spoken to you. My name is Drakkara, or just Kara for short. You called me Ama when you were little, and when you feel comfortable enough you can use it again. Why don't we go inside out of the sun and away from prying eyes." She suggested.

Harry turned to lead the way, but stopped suddenly and tried to explain, "Err, my relatives don't exactly like our kind, you might not want to go in." he said while looking at his worn down tennis shoes, embarrassed by his relatives prejudice. The womans tinkling laughter made him whip his head up to look at her again.

"Oh don't worry about Petunia or that walrus she's married to. I know how to deal with them. Your aunt at least, has met me before and will know not to annoy me. Now, come on and lets get settled. Fawkes and I could use a drink, we've been rather busy this morning." Tentatively, Drakkara laid her arm across the boys' thin shoulders. When he didn't pull away from the affectionate gesture, she beamed a radiant smile down at him and walked across the yard to the front door.

Before Harry could turn the knob, the door was yanked open by a thin, horse-faced woman. Petunia Dursley had seen the reunion from the living room window and was distinctly not pleased. But as she opened her mouth to begin a tirade against all things abnormal, she was stopped by a quiet voice addressing her. "Nice to see you again Petunia, it's been a long time."

Her lips clamped shut again and she looked upwards into the face of her sisters best friend. Before she could recover enough from the shock, Drakkara had urged Harry inside and stepped through the door after him, leaving Petunia to shut it behind them. The shocked woman slammed the door and turned to her unwanted guest. "Wha…What are you doing here? The letter that came with the boy years ago said you'd died with his parents!"

"Mmm, yes I suppose it would have. I'll explain, but not standing awkwardly in the entrance hall. Harry-love, why don't you show me to the kitchen so that we can sit down with some tea while we talk." The raven-haired woman replied casually, and walked with the teenager into the kitchen.

Once in the kitchen, Drakkara sat herself at the table and drew her wand, lazily conjuring two cups of tea for herself and Petunia, a glass of pumpkin juice for Harry, a plate of chocolate biscuits to share, and a dish of water for the phoenix. She noticed Harry looking at her wand, which was rather long and slender, made from a golden wood with a dark handle. "Pretty isn't it? Would you like a closer look?" She asked, offering it to him.

The teen nodded, accepting the magical tool and examining it. "I've never seen a wand like this. It's longer than mine, and thinner. Wish it wasn't summer, I'd give it a wave just to see what it did." He handed it back to its owner, who chuckled at him.

Replacing the wand in its sheath she replied, "Sorry love, but that wouldn't be a good idea. That wand was custom made for me, and if you hadn't had my permission to touch it, it would've burned your hand when you took it. If you like, I'll tell you more about it later. For now, there are some things that need to be explained." She gestured for Harry to sit beside her and then raised her voice loudly to call for his aunt. "Petunia! If you want to hear this I suggest you get in here!"

The bony woman marched into her kitchen and sat herself at the table, eyeing the conjured beverages warily. She was followed by a teenage boy who might also have been a prize winning hog, wearing clothes and a wig and trained to walk on its hind legs. Looking between the two boys, knowing they were mere months apart in age, anger flared in her eyes and she scooted her chair closer to her godson to lay a protective arm across his shoulders. "My God Petunia. I knew when the decision was made to bring Harry here that your prejudice wouldn't allow you to treat him as if he were your own, but the drastic differences between them borders on child abuse! You're a miserable woman Petunia, and your jealousy of Lily had made you bitter. If I have my way, and believe me I will, you will never see Harry again, he deserves far better than you've shown him." 

Emerald eyes widened in astonishment as Harry watched his godmother rail at his aunt on his behalf, not quite believing that this woman, who hadn't seen him for fourteen years would defend him so vehemently. When she'd finished her rant he turned his eyes on his aunt and watched her face redden in embarrassment. "Now see here you freak of a woman!" Petunia shouted, "I took him didn't I? We could've sent him to an orphanage. Since you're obviously not dead, why didn't you take him eh?"

Drakkara removed her arm from about the boys' shoulders and turned to face him fully. A pale hand reached out and gently brushed a stray lock of hair from over his eyes. "It wasn't possible for me to take him, though I desperately wanted to." She started, speaking to Petunia but never taking her eyes off Harrys' face. 

"Harry, I know you've heard by now the details of the night your parents died, but the story the world knows, and the truth are different. You see, I was there that night, and I can tell you what happened." Violet eyes clouded with grief as she relived for her godson the night of his parents' murder.

"I came over that night to bring you some sweets," she began in a hollow voice. "It was Halloween, but James and Lily couldn't take you out to trick or treat with the other children, so I brought over some sweets for you. Lily always said that between Siri and I you were going to be spoiled rotten." A vague smile graced her features as she paused to take a sip of her tea.

She took a shaky breath, determined to tell the story now without pause. "I apparated outside the wards and walked up to the house. The front door was open, so I just came in. I found James in the living room, and he was dead. Suddenly, I heard your mum screaming from somewhere upstairs and I ran to help her, but I was too late. When I ran through the doorway of your nursery, Lily was already dead and Voldemort had cast the Avada at you. There was nothing I could do, only watch in horror as that sickening green light hit you, and gape in shock when it reflected back at its caster."

Harry felt the tears run down his face as he listened, and when she paused for breath again he leaned forward and took her shaking hands in his. She squeezed his hands in thanks and continued. "I saw the magical connection between the two of you form. But this is where the story you've heard and the truth diverge Harry-love. The reflected Avada curse did not destroy Voldemorts body; instead it formed the connection. I didn't really understand what I was seeing; all I knew was that the horrible creature before me had just killed two of my best friends and tried to kill my godson. I sprinted across the room and gathered you in my arms. I was about to lose control of my magic and I knew it, so I held you close to protect you and used the last of my control to focus the magical outburst at Voldemort."

"That's what killed him isn't it? It wasn't me at all, it was you." The boy whispered, shocked by the revelation. His godmother, pale and shaking, nodded her head and continued speaking. "Yes Harry, it was my focused magical outburst that destroyed Voldemort and broke his power. I don't remember much of what happened after that. When my control snapped, I lost myself in grief and wanted nothing more than revenge. I vaguely remember checking to see that you were really alive and then putting you in your crib. After that it's a blur. I left you there and went hunting Death Eaters. When I became rational again it was hours later, and I knew somehow that I had just killed about twenty Death Eaters."

She raised her head then, and met Harrys' eyes. The teen could clearly see her guilt and sorrow for what she had done. "I think I understand how you must have felt. If anything happened to Ron and 'Mione I don't think I'd handle it well at all. Thank you for telling me what really happened Kara, and for avenging my parents." He stood up and leaned down to embrace the crying woman, and she wrapped her arms around him in return, pulling him into a desperate embrace over their shared grief.

Holding the child she loved so dearly in her arms after fourteen long years was like a dream come true for Drakkara, and it calmed her as much as the phoenix song that sounded from the back of her chair. She loosened her death grip on the boys' ribs and instead moved to draw the teenager down into her lap. "I know you're a bit old for lap sitting Harry-love, but please let me this once. There's more to tell you and it's been so long since I last held you."

Quite contrary to his godmothers' belief, Harry was enjoying being held in her lap. Though under any other circumstance he despised his lack of height and weight, right now they worked to his advantage as he answered her pleading tone by relaxing into her warmth and resting his head on her shoulder. "I think I can handle it Kara, just not in front of Sirius or Ron okay? They'd never let me live it down." He sighed contentedly against her neck.

Drakkara laughed and adjusted her arms more comfortably before continuing her story. "Thank you love." She whispered and turned her head to kiss his forehead. "My first thoughts when I came back to myself were of you. I didn't know where I was, so I apparated back to Godrics Hollow. The place was teaming with Aurors and I knew you probably weren't there any more, so I apparated again, this time to Hogwarts where I hoped I'd find you with Albus Dumbledore."

"I was right, and I did find you there. When I entered the headmasters' office you were crying and trying to pull Albus' beard out. I called out to you and ran over to the desk. I must've been a terrible sight after the things I'd just done because the headmaster was looking at me in horror. Not you though, my precious child, as soon as you saw me you held up your arms and demanded that I pick you up. I took you gladly and sat down, singing to you until you calmed and went to sleep."

Harry couldn't help but giggle as he pictured himself pulling on the headmasters' beard, and his godmother jiggled her legs to hush him so she could finish. "Once I had you sleeping and Albus could take the cotton balls out of his ears, I told him what had happened. He did that really annoying thing with his eyes that tells you he knows even more than you're telling him, and we made a plan. Albus knew I had almost no control over my magic at that point, I was leaking power like a sieve. He said the most important things for me at that point were to regain my control and hide me from the remaining Death Eaters who would surely be looking for me."

"It wasn't safe for you to remain with me until I had full control over my magic again. No one had heard from Sirius at that point except for the short meeting he had with Hagrid at your house. We thought Siri had hidden himself away to grieve for a while, or gone to Remus' and my flat to tell us what had happened." She paused when Harry looked up, curious that she and his former professor had been living together. "Remus and I were engaged Harry. Anyway, we had no idea where Siri was and we couldn't bring you to Remy because he was recovering from his transformation earlier that week. Albus decided that you would stay with Petunia and Vernon at least until things settled down and Siri was ready to take custody of you."

Drakkara sighed softly and took another sip of tea before telling the last part of her tale. "If only we had known what was going to happen just hours later. I made Albus promise to tell Remus the truth about why I'd left, but in general, the wizarding world should believe I was another casualty of the Halloween Slaughter. We thought it might lower the number of Death Eaters looking for me. I didn't tell him where I was planning on going, just that if I was needed Fawkes would be able to find me. I got to hold you and kiss you good-bye one last time, then Albus took you back and I disappeared from the wizarding world." She raised her eyes to meet those of Petunia Dursley and finished softly, "Now you see why I couldn't take him."

Harry lifted his head from his godmothers shoulder and looked her in the eye as he asked, desperately hoping, "Are you back to stay now?"

Placing one hand on the boys' cheek, Drakkara answered, "Rampaging wild hippogriffs couldn't force me to leave you again Harry-love. Fawkes was here last night you know, and your birthday wish made up his mind about coming to get me. I'm here now, I won't leave again, and I always loved you as if you were my child. I can't replace your mum Harry, and I wouldn't if I could. Lily was the most special person in the world, and you're lucky to have had her as a mother. But if you want me to be your Ama again, I'm more than willing to take the job."

His bright smile was answer enough, though he added to it by saying, "Is spoiling me rotten still in the job description? I really, really like sweets."

She laughed loud and long in sheer joy at her godsons cheeky reply. "No sweets today love, though I did bring you a birthday present. You'll have to promise to take good care of it though. It's very rare and priceless."

"You didn't have to bring me anything! I was only joking Ama." He exclaimed, not wanting her to think he only wanted her to spoil him with gifts.

Drakkara chuckled and shushed the boy, "Hush. When Fawkes told me that you were a Parselmouth I knew immediately what I should give you for your birthday." Harry watched as she raised her right arm and hissed. "Siranev, I'd like you to meet Harry. Harry, this is Siranev. If she agrees, she will be your familiar and guardian, as her parents are mine."

Harry saw now that what he'd taken to be a bracelet around her wrist was actually a young black, purple and green snake. When the small serpent raised her head to examine him, he caught sight of her silver belly. "I'm happy to meet you Siranev. You are honestly the most beautiful snake I've ever seen! Can I hold you?" He hissed to the snake.

"I like this little human Kara. He smells good and can speak to me as you do. I will accept him." Siranev spoke back, uncoiling herself from the womans wrist and gliding down to the hand of the teenager she had chosen as her own. "I choose you, Harry. I will be your companion from this day onwards."

The boy stroked the serpents' head and smiled brightly, "Thank you Siranev, I will try to be a good companion and friend to you." He replied before looking at his godmother again and speaking in English. "Thank you so much Ama! I love her already. I can't believe you're a Parselmouth too, I thought the I was the only one besides Voldemort."

She smiled at the boy, happy that the young serpent had chosen her godson as a companion. "It's a very rare gift Harry-love, but there have been a few Parselmouths in recent history. Most of us just choose to keep our ability quiet, since it's long been thought of as a Dark gift. But for myself, I'm what one would call a beast speaker. I can talk to most magical creatures, including Fawkes and my own guardian serpents Narasi and Vrisan."

"Cool, where are your snakes anyway? I hope you didn't leave them at Hogwarts. If Hagrid or Professor Snape saw them you'd never get them back!" Harry laughed, though he was only half joking. His half giant friend and his potions professor would both love to get their hands on a magical serpent, though the snakes would have a slightly better chance of survival with Hagrid.

Drakkara laughed with him and gestured him off her lap. She stood and removed her cloak so that the teen could see her companions where they rested on her upper arms. "This is Vrisan on my right arm, and Narasi is on the left. Siranev is their daughter and will be about the same size when she's fully grown." The woman explained. Hearing their names, the serpents raised their heads and hissed a greeting to the boy before going back to sleep. "Hang on," Drakkara said suddenly, "Did you say Professor _Snape_? Please love, tell me you mean anyone but Severus?"

Harry shook his head sadly, "Sorry Kara, but that's my potion masters' name. I guess you like him about as much as Sirius and Professor Lupin huh?"

"That, my little one, is putting it mildly. Maybe I'll tell you about it someday…in ten years or so. For now, I think we've dallied here long enough for Albus to explain things to Remy and Siri. Let's go to your room and get your things packed so we can leave." She gathered her cloak and suitcase/trunk and lifted Fawkes back to her shoulder. As she and Harry left the kitchen she turned and said, "Petunia, P…err child, it was disappointing seeing you again. Harry and I will show ourselves out. Good-bye."

She turned away from the door and gestured for Harry to hurry to his room, one hand clapped over her mouth. As soon as she got his bedroom door shut, the laughter burst forth. "Oh my goodness Harry! Next time I start saying something I shouldn't you have my permission to kick me! I damn near called your cousin Pig in a wig!" Harry joined her in laughter once she explained what was so funny.

When the giggles subsided, Drakkara sat on the bed and watched Harry open his trunk. "Lets cheat a little shall we?" she said, drawing her wand and repeating the spell that had swiftly packed her own belongings. Harry watched happily as all of his possessions except Hedwig in her cage and his Firebolt, which wouldn't fit, were stowed, neatly in his school trunk. 

With everything packed, Drakkara shrunk the trunk down and Harry placed it in his pocket. He took up his broomstick and Hedwigs cage and they walked back down the stairs and out the front door. A couple minutes later they passed the wards and Drakkara wrapped her arm tightly around Harrys' shoulders. "Hang on tight to your things love. Here we go." His godmother cautioned a moment before disapparating.

* * * * * * * * * * *

While Drakkara was reuniting with her godson, Albus Dumbledore had been trying to explain himself to two very angry men who had the ability to turn into canines large enough to tear him limb from limb without much effort. To say that Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were not happy with him was a severe understatement.

Two hours after he began, just before Drakkara arrived with Harry, Remus asked him for what had to be the tenth time, "So let me get this straight. My mate came to you after finding James and Lily dead, watching as Voldemort attempted to kill Harry, losing control of her magic, destroying Voldemorts body, and murdering twenty death eaters. You, in your infinite wisdom, told her to leave. To go into hiding without saying a word to any of us, which she did after making you promise to tell me the truth. You then proceeded to outright lie to me and tell me the death eaters had killed her." The werewolf was literally growling the words, and the man sitting next to him emphasized the menacing sound.

Sirius picked up the story next, "And now, after fourteen years, it was Fawkes who set out to tell her how badly things had gone since she left, and it was Fawkes who brought her back this morning. If this experience, the hell we've gone through all this time, is your idea of wisdom, then I think I'll put in a vote tonight to have Fawkes replace you as head of the Order."

Albus sighed, knowing it would take quite a while to earn the forgiveness of these two men. "Yes, that is, in short, the truth of what happened to Drakkara. I left her at Hogwarts just before I came here, and she should arrive at any moment now with Harry." Before he could continue and make his apologies yet again, all three men heard a soft rapping at the door.


	5. Chapter 4

****

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 4

Drakkara and Harry reappeared in an alleyway across the street from the spot where Twelve Grimmauld Place should have been. The raven-haired woman took the headmasters' letter from a pocket in her cloak and read the postscript giving the location for Order headquarters. She handed the letter off to her godson and said, "Read and memorize the first post script Harry-love, and repeat it in your head as we cross the street."

The teen did as he was asked and crossed the street with the woman chanting the address in his head. As they stepped onto the sidewalk an extra house seemed to grow up between numbers eleven and thirteen. Drakkara guided him confidently up the stairs to the front door of number twelve Grimmauld Place and knocked softly.

A moment later Remus Lupin threw open the door. The handsome werewolf seemed unsure as to whether he should be laughing, crying, or yelling and he tried to do all three at once as he pulled the woman and boy into the house. With the door closed behind them, Drakkara stood with Harry at her side, and faced her former fiancé. "Remus." She whispered softly, "Oh Merlin Remy I'm so sorry."

"I can't say that I'm not angry Kara, but you did what you had to do. You didn't know how horribly wrong things would go, and you didn't know that Albus would lie to me about what happened to you. We have a lot to talk about later, when we can have some privacy, but for now you'd better hustle your arse over here and give me a hug." The tawny haired man stated, opening his well-muscled arms.

The violet-eyed woman practically flew into Remus' arms and was lifted up and twirled around as they embraced. Long moments passed as the estranged couple held each other close and whispered together, and all but one man jumped when the silent scene was interrupted by Sirius calling, "Hey, don't I get one of those too Kara?"

Drakkara turned to her former lover and said, "Still tactless as he ever was eh?" Remus nodded at her and watched the radiant woman as she seemed to glide across the floor to be embraced by his best friend. The two hugged for a few moments before the tall man and woman stepped apart and held out their free arms and called, "Come on Moony, Harry, family hug time!" 

Harry went to them and was held between his godparents, soon joined by his former professor. This was a feeling he never wanted to lose, the teen decided. He could feel the warmth of love for him and each other coming from the three adults holding him in the center of their embrace. The boy turned his head so that he could see the large phoenix now perched on his headmasters' shoulder and whispered, "Thank you Fawkes."

The group hug was broken a few moments later as they noticed a pair of red heads peeping around the corner from the bottom of the stairs. "Hey Fred, George." The emerald eyed teen called. The twins took the greeting as an okay to come down into the hall. 

"Hey Harry, what's the what? We didn't think you'd be here for another few weeks." One twin, no one was sure which, said as they approached the group with curious expressions on their identical faces as they glanced at the unfamiliar woman. "Yeah mate," this time it was the other twin speaking. "If we'd known you were coming today we wouldn't have sent your presents last night."

Harry looked over at his godmother, silently asking what he could tell his friends. "Go ahead and tell them who I am love, but remember, some things need to stay secret a while longer okay?" Drakkara replied, giving him a smile. "In fact, why don't you go on upstairs and tell all your friends at once. I see another curious redhead peeking down at us. Siri, Remy, and I will stay down here with Albus and chat."

The teen nodded, but didn't immediately follow the twins toward the stairs. He walked over to his godmother first and hugged her tightly. "I'm glad you came home Ama." Harry whispered as she leaned down to hug him back and press a kiss to his forehead. 

"I am too Harry-love. I am too." She whispered back as he stepped out of the hug. "Go on now and have fun with your friends. Give us adults a while to talk and then bring them down so I can meet them alright?" She watched her godson nod and smile at her before turning and heading up the stairs and out of sight. 

A heavy arm wrapped around her back a moment later and gently turned her toward the sitting room. "Come on Kara, let's sit down and talk a while before the kids come back down. I've no doubt Ron and Hermione will want to look you over before giving their approval. They're very protective of Harry." Remus said, guiding her into the room.

Sirius heard and nodded his agreement. "That's putting it mildly. Kara, be prepared to informally adopt two more kids, because both Molly Weasley and I can tell you that if you take one, you take all three." He sat down on the couch and patted the cushion beside him, wanting her and Remus to sit with him.

The woman laughed lightly as she put her trunk down and draped her cloak over it. She sat down between her old friends before replying, "So I gathered, from the way Fawkes described their many adventures. It seems we have the next generation of Marauders on our hands." The two men chuckled, in full agreement.

"Well my dear," Albus interjected from his armchair across from the trio. "I trust you had no problems collecting young Harry? The boy seems to have taken to you quite fast."

Drakkara beamed at the old wizard, "No trouble at all once he'd read your letter and gotten a little urging from Fawkes. He's starved for affection Albus, and knows when it's being offered to him. The only problem we might have had was Petunia, and she closed up as tight as a clam once she remembered me."

The four adults continued their conversation, keeping their discussion mild and restricted to topics that wouldn't break the lightheartedness of the reunion. More painful discussions would come later, during the Order meeting that night, and when the remaining Marauders and their long lost friend could have a private talk between the three of them.

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Harry was happily reuniting with his friends. Hermione and Ginny had jumped on him the moment he entered the room, hugging him and babbling questions. Struggling for breath, the raven-haired teen said, "Whoa, need air! Let's sit down guys, I want to hear what's been going on. After that I'll tell you about the surprise I got today."

"Did you get our notes with your presents Harry?" Hermione asked, and continued when he gave a nod. "Well, that's about all we know. We've been here for a couple of weeks now, but no one will tell us what's going on. We hear bits and pieces if we're careful not to be seen, but the adults are really tight-lipped. We knew something big was going on this morning because Professor Dumbledore came in looking like he was going to his execution. He locked himself away with Sirius and Professor Lupin and put all kinds of wards on the door so we couldn't eavesdrop."

Harry nodded, knowing that the headmaster had been telling his godfather and the werewolf that his godmother wasn't dead and had come back to England. "I can explain that for you…" He started, but was stopped by the twins.

"Uh-uh Harry my lad. First you're going to tell us who that utterly gorgeous woman is that you were hugging." Fred, or was it George, exclaimed. "Oh yes, we must know now! Ron, you really need to see the beautiful creature that brought him here. Makes Fleur Delacour look like a dog!" The second twin agreed.

Hearing the twins' praise of his godmothers' beauty Harry could only laugh. He noticed his friends looking at him with a collective expression of 'Well? Explain. Now!' and sat back, smiling as he began his tale. "Well, I got an unexpected birthday present from Fawkes this morning…"

"Who's Fawkes? If he's giving out beautiful women as birthday presents I really need to meet him!" One of the twins asked enthusiastically.

Hermione glared at the redhead and shushed him, gesturing for Harry to continue. "Fawkes is Professor Dumbledores' phoenix. Anyway, I was getting ready to mow the front lawn when I saw this woman standing at the fence staring at me. I recognized her from the mini penseive Remus sent me for my birthday. That 'beautiful creature' is my godmother, Drakkara. She's been in hiding since the night my parents died because the Death Eaters were after her."

"I didn't know you had a godmother Harry, why didn't you tell me? And if she's been hiding from Death Eaters all this time, why did she come back now, just after You-Know-Who returned?" Ron asked, somewhat disgruntled that there was something about Harry he didn't know.

Harry raised his hands in a peaceful gesture, "Hold on Ron. I didn't know either until last night. Remus sent a note with the mini penseive that told me the woman with my mother in the memory was my godmother. I don't know all about her or anything yet, just what she told me, and she asked me not to tell parts of that. All I can tell you is that except for Dumbledore, everyone was told she died along with my parents that night. That's what the headmaster was telling Sirius and Remus earlier, that she was alive and had come back."

Hermione was the next to ask questions, "What do you think of her Harry? Do you like her?" The ever-curious brunette gave her friend a quizzical look. 

The bespectacled teen nodded and replied, "Yeah 'Mione I do. She…She feels like I always thought a mum should. I knew when I saw her at the fence that she loved me, it was written all over her face. She gave Aunt Petunia a good telling off when she saw the differences between me and Dudley, and she hugs me and calls me Harry-love. Not to mention she gave me a really cool birthday present!"

He held up his wrist so that his friends could see the snake coiled around it. "This is Siranev. Her parents are Kara's familiars." The teen looked at his serpent friend and hissed to her, "Siranev, these are my friends. Would you mind uncoiling so they can see you better?" The snake hissed agreement and slithered up onto the boys' hand so that the others could get a better look at her.

"Wow, she's really pretty Harry. I've never seen a snake with her coloration before, what kind is she?" Hermione asked, reaching out cautiously to run her forefinger across the serpents' skin. 

Harry shrugged in an 'I don't know' fashioned and repeated the question in Parseltongue to Siranev. The snakes' reply was for him to ask his godmother as she could explain it better. After relaying his familiars' comment Harry could almost see his friend file the question away to be asked later. While the boys and Hermione examined the serpent, debating over her origins, Harry heard Ginny ask, "Can we see the penseive memory Harry?"

The emerald-eyed teen stood up and pulled his shrunken trunk from his pants pocket. "Umm, we'll have to get someone to un-shrink my trunk first Gin. I put all my presents in it after I opened them last night." 

The soft-spoken girls' question had caught the attention of the others and they all looked curious. The twin closest to Harry took his trunk and sat it against the wall before pulling his wand and reciting the engorgement charm. The emerald-eyed teen thanked his friend and rifled through his belongings to find the small penseive. "Ah, here it is." Harry said, holding the object up while he closed his trunk and placed the penseive on its lid. "Everybody sit back on the beds. It plays like a hologram." 

When the five teens had splayed themselves across the two beds Harry pressed his finger to the stone on the penseive and said "Play." As he scurried over to sit on the bed occupied by Hermione and Ginny the bedroom around them changed as the memory started to play.

Harry saw his friends look around them at his old nursery and heard their gasps when they caught sight of Lily Potter and her best friend standing beside the memory window. The two women started singing their lullaby and it seemed as if everyone was holding their breath in awe of the beautiful music. Harry watched the scene with a happy smile lighting his face, letting the sound of his mother and godmother wash over him. 

The memory finished and faded out with a whispered "Sleep now, Harry-love." The dark haired boy turned to his friends and asked, "What did you think?" The teens responded with much praise for the beautiful song and the equally lovely women who sang it. Surprisingly it wasn't Hermione, but Ginny who asked what language the women were singing in, and Harry responded that this was another question they would have to put to his godmother.

"Speaking of asking Kara questions, we've been up here a while. Why don't we head downstairs and I'll introduce you guys to her." Harry asked, wanting his friends to meet his godmother and at the same time make sure she was still there. The bespectacled teen still didn't trust that her appearance wasn't just a really nice dream.

The others swiftly agreed and they trooped down the hall, coming to a halt quickly as they heard a crash from below followed by extremely loud cursing. "Uh oh, sounds like Tonks is here and woke up the old banshee." Ron stated as they cautiously came down the stairs to see what the fuss was about.

They reached the entrance hall in time to see Remus and Sirius attempting to close the curtains over one of the portraits, who seemed to be reciting Draco Malfoys' litany of nasty names for Harry and his friends. Harry saw his godmother stalk out of the sitting room in response to a particularly derogatory comment aimed at Remus. "Good Merlin! With the filth you're spewing you still dare to call yourself a lady Cassiopeia Black?"

The portrait of an older woman who resembled Sirius, and by the name must have been his mother, started in surprise before spewing back at the raven haired woman, "YOU! I REMEMBER YOU! FILTHY WHORE! YOU DARE TO WALK INTO MY HOME AGAIN AFTER WHAT YOU DID HERE THE LAST TIME?"

"You'll find I dare quite a bit Madam. And if you don't shut your foul mouth right now, and keep it shut, I'll see how well your portrait takes to a repeat of the last spell I cast on you. Somehow, I don't think you'd come out of it as well as the last time, do you?" Drakkara replied calmly, and held up her left hand, which was wreathed in violet flames.

The portrait quailed at the threat before speaking again, this time at a normal volume. "You wouldn't dare!" She seemed to be trying to think of something to add to her statement, but nothing else came forth.

It seemed that Drakkara would, as she glared at the picture with a slightly evil smirk on her face. "I dared it when you were alive to curse me back. I wouldn't let you get away with hurting my friend then, I wouldn't question my daring when a mere portrait of you is screaming filth at anyone and everyone in this house, not to mention in front of my godson and his friends. My deal is this; you stay on the wall as long as you behave as a nice, quiet portrait. If you let one nasty comment pass your lips again and I hear about it, I'll burn you off the wall so fast you won't even have time to realize you've ticked me off. Do we have an agreement Cassiopeia?"

The portrait didn't answer immediately, and when it looked like she was about to start screaming again Drakkara lazily trailed one flaming finger across the bottom edge of her picture, leaving a singed line in its wake. "Alright! You win!" Mrs. Black called out before stalking to the back corner of her portrait and sulking.

Remus and Sirius quickly closed the curtains, sighing in relief. The dark haired man glared at the closed curtains for another moment before turning to Drakkara and embracing her for a moment. "Thank you Kara, both for now and…" Sirius trailed off, raising his right hand and turning it so the back was facing her in a gesture they both understood.

She took his larger hand in both of hers and smiled, "None needed Siri." Drakkara gave the hand a squeeze and let go. Turning to the teens, who had at some point during the conversation been joined by a red haired woman she thought must be the majority of the childrens' mother, and another woman, older than the teens though not by much, with short pink hair done in spikes. "Well, now that the old bat's taken care of, why don't we adjourn to the sitting room for introductions?"

The group followed her lead and got comfortable in the sitting room. "Drakkara, I'd like to introduce you to Molly Weasley and Nymphadora Tonks. Molly and her husband Arthur are the parents of all the redheads you'll see running around here, and Tonks is an Auror with the Ministry. Ladies, this lovely woman who has so generously relieved us of Mrs. Blacks' loudly voiced opinions, is Drakkara Vanimaer. Among other things she is young Harrys' godmother." Albus made the introductions easily as he sipped his tea.

Harry, who was sitting on the floor between his godparents' feet, introduced the younger members of the group. "Kara, these are my best friends Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, and George. No one knows which of the twins is which so you'll have to ask them. Umm, never take anything edible from either of them, their idols are the Marauders. Guys, this is my godmum Drakkara."

"It's nice to meet you all." The lovely woman said, nodding to each person and ruffling her godsons' hair. "All these redheads seem familiar, but I have to think." She cast her eyes on Ron and the twins, muttering softly, "Weasley, Weasley, red hair, freckles. Red hair, Gryffindor…OH! You must be my cublings' younger siblings, and his mother." She smiled delightedly.

Remus and Sirius were both chuckling as they remembered what, or rather who, their friend had remembered, but Molly was giving Drakkara a curious look. "Cubling?" She asked.

The raven-haired womans' smile grew broader as she explained. "Your oldest, Bill, was a first year in our seventh. We got to know each other quite well over Christmas that year and he followed me about until I graduated. I called him my cubling because he tagged behind me like a little lion cub, not to mention he was a Gryffindor."

"Oh yes, I remember Bill came home from his first year rather sad and told me his best friend had graduated. He told such tales about the pretty seventh year girl and her friends. I must admit I've always thought he made her up because of the stories he told about her. Things like riding unicorns through the forest and singing with phoenixes." The older woman laughed, shaking her head in amusement.

Drakkara threw a sideways glance at Albus before remembering he couldn't put her in detention anymore and replied, "Well, I don't know what other stories he told you about me, but that one's true enough."

The whole group, including the headmaster to a mild degree, gaped at her in disbelief. She sighed and said, "I'll let the cubling tell you the story later. I think I've shocked enough people for today. I'm assuming he's in the Order and coming to the meeting tonight?"

Albus nodded, "Yes, Bill will be dropping by tonight. I'm quite anxious to hear him tell this story. It's not often one of my former students surprise me later in life with things they did in school, right under my very nose. I believe riding a unicorn will tie with three fifth year pranksters becoming illegal animagi." He looked pointedly at Sirius with a smile showing through his beard. 

The adults and three of the teens laughed at the headmasters' mild dig at Sirius, and Ron muttered in a low voice to Harry and Hermione, "And he hasn't even heard about the things we've done yet." The comment was heard though, and rather obviously ignored by the old wizard.

The group conversed easily for several hours, mostly about everyones' past exploits at Hogwarts. At about five o'clock, Molly excused herself to get dinner started, refusing help from Tonks, Drakkara, and Remus, and their conversation of the best played pranks at school came to a halt. Fawkes, who'd sat silently on the back of Albus' chair the whole time, suddenly flew over to land on Drakkaras' knee and trilled at her. "I believe young Hermione wants to ask you something Drakkara. She's been fidgeting and glancing at you for five minutes now." The large bird commented.

"I'd noticed Fawkes. I was waiting for her to scrape up the courage to ask me whatever it is she wants to know. Since you've decided to enter the conversation, is there anything I can get you? If you're staying for the meeting it might be more comfortable if I conjured you up a proper perch, I imagine your feet are getting cramped." She replied, stunning everyone who hadn't yet seen her speak to the phoenix.

The brightly colored bird seemed to consider the offer for a moment before trilling again. "Yes, a perch would be nice thank you. I could use some bread and water too if you wouldn't mind. Perhaps Vrisan and Narasi could join me for a drink until the Order members start to arrive. I dare say you'll want them back on your arms when Alastor gets here. Siranev is welcome too of course, if she's ready to leave her chosen for a short while."

Drakkara nodded and spoke in English to the group. "Could one of you be a dear and get some bread and a shallow bowl of water from the kitchen?" She asked politely. Tonks started to get up, but one of the twins beat the slightly clumsy Auror to the task. The violet eyed woman stood up and withdrew her wand, closing her eyes to form a mental picture of what she wanted before pointing her wand at an open space behind the couch she'd been sitting on and muttering a spell.

An elegant perch, suitable for a bird as large as Fawkes appeared instantly. On either side of Fawkes spot on the perch was a branch of polished wood with smaller branches forking out at about the phoenixes eye level and slightly below the forks was a tray for the bread and water. Drakkara walked around and settled her avian friend on the perch and grasped the two wooden branches so that her own familiars could slither down her arms and onto their own perch.

"Harry-love, ask Siranev if she wants to come over and visit with Fawkes and her parents. They're going to have a snack while we talk." The teen hissed in Parseltongue to his companion and brought her over to his godmother when she replied in the affirmative. He allowed the serpent to join her parents and hissed a greeting to the older snakes. When the twin, Fred, as he identified himself when Drakkara thanked him, returned with the requested food and drink, the dark haired woman set the items on the tray for the animals and settled herself back on the couch.

The group was still looking at her with a bit of awe, and they'd added Harry to their scrutiny once he'd displayed his gift as a Parselmouth. "That's better, they were getting a bit bored with our conversation I think." She turned her eyes on Hermione, who was fidgeting even worse now and smiled at the girl. "Hermione, Fawkes noted that you looked like you wanted to ask me something. I assure you I won't bite your head off if there's something you'd like to know."

The girls' chocolate brown eyes lit up and she started babbling her questions, making the others smile and chuckle. "Umm, I have a few questions actually. First, were you actually talking to Fawkes, having a conversation? Second, can you tell us what type of snake your and Harrys' familiars are? And third, can you tell us what language you and Harrys' mum were speaking in his penseive?

Drakkara laughed merrily when Hermione had finished. "My you do have a thirst for knowledge don't you. Let's see, your first and third questions tie together somewhat so I'll answer those first. Yes, I was having a conversation with Fawkes, and I understand him just as if he were speaking English. In the wizarding world, you would call me a beast speaker as I can converse with most magical creatures. But mine is not an actual wizard gift."

"This is where your third question ties in. The language Lily and I were singing in is called Quenya, an ancient, formal language understood by all sentient magical creatures. I was born to an ancient race of magical beings and raised speaking both Quenya and English. The reason I understand what you hear as phoenix song when Fawkes trills is that he's actually speaking the phoenix version of Quenya." She finished the explanation, smiling in anticipation of the next question. She'd purposely been vague on the origin of the language, just to get the brunette to ask.

Hermione was practically bouncing in her seat as she absorbed the new information, "What people were you born to? I've never heard of that language before, where did it come from?" She asked, brimming with curiosity.

The older woman laughed at the girls' obvious excitement. "Now that would be telling Hermione. I'm a bit like your headmaster in the fact that I never give all the answers. You have an admirable thirst for knowledge, and from what I've heard you're a great lover of books and research. Rather than answer those questions, I'll give you a challenge. If you can find out for yourself the origins of Quenya, and the people I was born to by the Christmas holidays, I will submit your essay on both to your History of Magic and Care of Magical Creatures professors for extra credit. I dare say the O.W.L. examiners might even be interested in it."

"Now you've done it Kara. She's gonna have Ron and me in the library helping her research before the Sorting Ceremony is finished!" Harry complained, joined with a heartfelt groan from his redheaded companion. The adults laughed heartily over the boys' complaints and the brunette girls' enthusiastic grin.

Sirius leaned over to muss his godsons' hair and said, "Keep you three out of trouble though won't it? It won't be an easy assignment either, I know for a fact. Kara made us do it too when we found out she could talk to animals and asked about it."

Ron decided to contribute to the conversation now and asked, "Are you going to make us research the snakes too Kara? We do have to study for OWLs sometime." It was said jokingly, but there was an underlying dread in his eyes at the prospect of more research.

"No Ron, I'm not going to make you research the snakes. You wouldn't find anything on their particular breed. Harry and I are the only two people who've bonded with this type of snake in about two hundred years, and no ones ever written about them because they're so rare." She replied, settling back for what she hoped would be her last explanation of the day.

"Vrisan, Narasi, and Siranev are Parsels. Being Harrys' friends I assume you've researched the terms Parselmouth and Parseltongue. Well, those terms came from snakes like Harrys' and mine. Parsels are an ancient and rare breed of serpent. They have a vast array of magical powers, and it's said that the first Parselmouth was gifted with the ability by his familiar, a Parsel. They're also one of several types of magical creatures that bond with their companions. Siranev accepted Harry as her chosen when I presented her to him earlier. Vrisan and Narasi have been with me since I was a small child." She looked over her shoulder to see the three snakes and the phoenix seemingly at rest on their perch, knowing they were speaking in the silent way of magical creatures.

When she looked back, she found Albus stroking his beard in silent contemplation. The old man caught her looking and gave her a grin. "Well Drakkara, I do believe I've learned more about you today than I've learned in the whole twenty odd years we've known each other."

Drakkara laughed heartily, "And you still don't know it all, oh omniscient one. You're just as clueless about my native language and my heritage as the others are. I've no doubt when you get back to Hogwarts this evening you'll be starting your own research into Quenya and its origins, hoping to beat Hermione to the answer." She answered the old wizard with a cheeky smirk.

Albus' reply was said in the same cheeky tone, "Now Drakkara, it's not nice to point that out in front of the children. The only reason I get any respect in my own school is because they haven't yet discovered that I only pretend to know everything. Just you wait young lady, the first time one of these children gives me cheek I'm sending them straight to you."

"I'll be sure to stock my office with lemon drops and magical gadgets that no one knows the purpose of then. I'm sure I can convince Fawkes to sit in on my conversations with students and give me hints on how to make children feel better while being punished and, given enough bribery, what spell you use to make your eyes twinkle like that." She replied, sticking her tongue out at the headmaster childishly while the others rolled with laughter at the banter between the old wizard and his former student.


	6. Chapter 5

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Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 5

"Molly, that was a wonderful meal, as always." Remus commented as he pushed his empty plate away from himself. Everyone seated at the large table in the kitchen at 12 Grimmauld Place made similar comments in thanks for the delicious dinner the red haired woman had made for them.

The group had retired to the kitchen for dinner not long after Drakkara had finished answering Hermiones' questions. The hour was drawing near now when the children would have to go back upstairs as the members of the Order of the Phoenix would be arriving soon. "Thank you everyone, it was nothing." Molly stated as she watched the porcelain dishes fly from the table and arrange themselves in the sink under the direction of Drakkaras' wand. "Children, I think it's about time you lot headed upstairs for the rest of the evening."

The adults chuckled when that statement was greeted with much grumbling from the six teens, who were anxious to be included in the workings of the Order. "Come on kids," Drakkara said, standing and moving towards the stairs. "I'll come up with you until the meeting begins. It'll be easier for Albus to explain my presence to everyone at once."

The teens continued to grumble a little as they followed the older woman up to the second floor of the house. Hermione and Ginny led the group into their shared bedroom and they all sat around, each wondering if they'd be able to eavesdrop on the meeting. "Why can't we go to the meetings? It's not like none of us has never dealt with You-Know-Who or his Death Eaters in some form or other." Ron stated angrily, glaring at the carpet.

Drakkara sighed, leaning forward on the edge of the bed where she was sitting with Harry so that she could meet the eyes of the teens. "Look kids, I've argued this keeping you in the dark thing with Professor Dumbledore on Harrys' behalf already. He's thinking very hard about letting you in on some of the things that have been happening, but it's hard. Like it or not, you're teenagers, just children in the eyes of most of the adults here. If you truly want to be included on some of the things the Order is doing, and have your ideas and comments listened to, you're going to have to show Albus and the rest of them that you're mature enough to handle the information you're being given."

She saw Ron and Hermione open their mouths and felt Harry stir beside her, all three ready to defend their maturity. She held up a hand to forestall them, "Shh, I know you three have toughed it out in some desperate situations over the years, and done things that most fully grown wizards couldn't have, and I greatly respect you for that. But most of the people gathering downstairs have never heard of your exploits or think you should have handled the situation differently, that you should have told a teacher what was going on and let them handle it. I think they'd all like to think they would have believed you if you came to them with your worries."

"What can we do to make them see that we're mature enough to handle being a part of this Kara? If the things we did in first, second, third, and even last year aren't enough to make them see that we're not ordinary teenagers, then what can?" Hermione asked quietly.

The older woman thought about that for a moment before replying. "Well, first you need to stop grumbling when you're asked to come up here while there's a meeting going on, and trying to eavesdrop on their conversations. Let them come to you with the information they feel they can share, and give them suggestions if they ask your opinion on something. That's something I'm personally going to bring up at the meeting, and I think Sirius and Remus at least will back me on it. For now though, think of things this way. You're here, in the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. The six of you are the only people your age who know with a certainty that Voldemort is back, and that something is actively being done about it. You kids alone know the truth, and you can show your maturity by handling it well and being thankful that you have a group of adults who care about you enough to bring you here, where you're safe."

The group of teenagers thought about what she'd said and nodded in agreement. It was true; they were the only ones who knew this much. "Are you really going to stick up for us at the meeting Ama? Do you think we can help here if they give us a chance?" Harry asked, looking into his godmothers' lovely violet eyes.

"Yes, Harry-love. I'll bring it up to the Order tonight. My opinion may not count for as much as it did the last time, since I've been away so long, but it isn't just me supporting your rights. Sirius and Remus at least have seen you, Ron, and Hermione in action so to speak, and they're sure to add to my comments. Not to mention that Fawkes has a great deal of respect for what you've done in the past, and his opinion counts for much with Albus, at least now that I'm back to make his opinions known." The raven-haired woman said, placing her arm around the boys' shoulders and squeezing lightly.

Everyone was quiet for a few moments, thinking about the older womans words and watching as she and Harry hugged, smiling at seeing their friend receiving the love he deserved. The silence was broken though when Remus walked up and stood in the doorway. "Kara, everyone's here. Albus wants you to come downstairs 'in full preparation for another dramatic scene', whatever that means."

Squeezing her godsons' shoulders one last time the dark haired woman stood, laughing. "Alright. I suppose the old man deserves to sit back and watch while everyone else gets a major shock, since he was the subject of one earlier. I'll have to stop in the sitting room for my cloak and familiars before we make a grand entrance. Are we meeting in the kitchen?"

The tawny haired man nodded and the two adults exited the room, giving the teens a smile of good-bye as they left. In the entrance hall Drakkara bid Remus to go on without her and proceeded to the sitting room where she'd left her cloak, the serpents, and the phoenix. She donned the cloak, making sure she was fully covered, and placed her hands on the perch. "Well my friends, it seems Albus wants a repeat performance of this morning. Is everyone up for a short apparation?" In answer Vrisan and Narasi slithered up to retake their places around her biceps, Siranev to her right wrist, and Fawkes to her left shoulder. A moment later all five vanished with the slightest of pops.

* * * * * * * * * *

The woman and her friends reappeared a split second later at the head of the table, just behind Albus Dumbledore. Before the fully trained wizards and witches could draw their wands and fire a curse at the stranger, Fawkes trilled a calming note. The groups' attention turned to the phoenix and they calmed as they realized he was perched on the strangers' shoulder, meaning the person must be a friend.

"As I was saying, before the timely arrival of my cloaked friend, one of our number has today returned to us. For fourteen years the world at large has believed this person dead, and only I knew otherwise. This person was and continues to be much loved by all who know them, and in the past was a great asset to our Order. On the night of the Halloween Slaughter, this person alone was responsible for the many Death Eater casualties, and indeed, as I have long kept secret, was responsible for the fall of the Dark Lord." Albus spoke softly, but clearly, and paused so that the people gathered in the room could gasp at leisure before he continued.

When the assembled wizards and witches calmed and began firing questions at the old man, he held up one had to hold them off. When they'd quieted he continued his story. "I realize that all of you, the whole of the wizarding world in fact, believes that it was our young Harry Potter who disposed of Voldemort that night. When I learned the truth of the matter, hours after the fact, that story had already spread throughout the country. It was decided that the story should remain, as the world would be told that my friend here had also been a casualty of that night, and therefore could not have told me the truth of the matter."

"Now, in our moment of need, our friend and ally has returned, on the council of Fawkes, to aid us in this new battle with Lord Voldemort. I ask those of you who knew her and long believed her dead to forgive me my secrecy and again welcome her into the Order of the Phoenix." The old wizard paused a moment and Drakkara lifted her hands to unclasp her cloak in anticipation. Just as her hands reached to throw back her hood he spoke again. "Ladies and Gentleman, I present to you our own Drakkara Vanimaer." She threw back her hood and just as he had that morning, Fawkes took wing and swiftly lifted the garment away, revealing the lovely woman to her old friends.

When the phoenix returned to her shoulder, Drakkara laid one long fingered slender hand on her mentors' shoulder. "Thank you for that wonderful introduction Albus. I trust you enjoyed the drama of the scene and our friends' reactions? I must say, they look quite as gobsmacked as you did this morning."

The headmaster laid his wrinkled hand over hers and patted it gently. "Yes my dear, I did quite enjoy it. It's only fair that they be as shocked as I was when you appeared in my office earlier. Come now and take a seat there beside Remus and we'll get this meeting underway. I daresay the children will be overcome with the need to eavesdrop soon." The old wizard chucked.

Drakkara took her seat before replying, "Not this time Albus. I spoke with them about that before I came down. You know my feelings on keeping them, especially Harry, in the dark about what's happening. I told them that I would speak to everyone about it this evening and that they would have to show us they were mature enough to handle being involved and that we could trust them to keep our secrets. They won't be grumbling or eavesdropping anymore, as they're determined to earn our respect and trust."

The head of the order nodded in assent, "Well, my friend, it seems you've accomplished quite a bit of what you and Fawkes had planned before you arrived this morning. You've quite taken everything in hand as it were and I thank you. It will be much easier to conduct our business without worrying about the children listening in, though I agree that we may be able to tell them a few things now, and perhaps more when they've demonstrated their ability to handle things."

A gruff voice interrupted the conversation between the two from the other end of the table. "Dumbledore, how can you be sure that's our Drakkara? I can't believe you let her in here and around the kids without checking her for Dark magic or Polyjuice."

"Ahh, I knew you wouldn't be satisfied with my mere presence Alastor, but tell me. Who else do you know that walks around with two magical serpents on her arms, who also has the complete trust of Albus Dumbledores' familiar, such that the phoenix would choose to perch on their shoulder and be apparated by them? Someone who also knows that you're itching to throw a flurry of hexes at them, just to see if, maybe, you can hit them this time?" The raven-haired woman replied to her old sparring partner cheekily.

The scarred older man let out a bark of laughter before replying, "Alright, now I'll believe that's our Kara. You best watch your backside little girl, cause when you least expect it I'm gonna hex you up one side and down the other."

The older members of the Order, who had been well acquainted with the raven-haired woman and knew of the strange game she often played with the ex-auror laughed out loud. The newer members gave their friends curious and confused looks, or looked in shock at the gruff man known as Mad-Eye, having never seen him behave in such a friendly manner with anyone. "Alright everyone, settle down." Albus said, still chuckling a bit himself.

"I believe we should get this meeting underway before we all get caught up in our memories and further confuse our new members." The old mans twinkling blue eyes scanned the room and landed on the tall, thin, black clad form that was his potions master and spy. The younger man was glaring around the room in general, and more specifically at the violet-eyed woman sitting next to her former fiancé. "Severus, do you have any news from your last meeting?" Albus asked.

The greasy haired potions master turned his onyx eyes on the headmaster and replied in a smooth, silky baritone. "I'm sorry headmaster, but I have nothing of significance for you. The Dark Lord is keeping quiet for now, since the ministry has been so kind as to completely ignore his rebirth. As I've already informed you, he is bending his efforts toward retrieving the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, but he has told very few of us any of his specific plans. My loyalty to him is under much scrutiny at every meeting, and I fear that until I can bring him specific information about the goings on at Hogwarts, and with yourself and Potter in particular, I will remain of little use to you as a spy."

Albus nodded, thinking hard for a few moments. The old wizard turned to Drakkara and asked her advice. "Drakkara, do you believe it would do any harm to allow Severus to report your return to Voldemort? The public will know soon, as you are to be teaching DADA this term, and I believe the Dark Lord would be very interested in your reappearance."

"I agree Albus. I will have to go public with my return in the next few days anyway, or the Prophet will report it as soon as you inform the ministry of the name of your new professor. If Severus can report my return first, it may increase the old bastards trust in him, though Severus himself should pretend that the information is of little use, and perhaps report it in conjunction with Minister Fudge being displeased with your discovery of a qualified teacher to take the post. Voldemort himself probably believes that he is the only living, well somewhat living, person who knows the truth of his defeat" The dark haired woman replied quietly, thinking aloud.

The other members of the order were nodding their agreement. As much as most of them disliked the dour potions master, they knew his position as a spy was invaluable and the information he could gather if he regained the Dark Lords' trust would be very useful. Professor Dumbledore turned back to the spy and asked, "Do you believe this information would aid your position within Voldemorts' circle Severus?"

The younger man nodded, greasy black hair swinging. "Yes, I believe it would help my position. The name Drakkara Vanimaer is well known to the Death Eaters in that she was a powerful force in the opposition during the last war. News of her return would be valuable even without knowing that it was she who banished the Dark Lord fourteen years ago. I believe, from speaking with Lucius Malfoy a few weeks ago, that the Dark Lord asked about her and was informed of her death just days after his rebirth. That I can report her as very much alive and back at Hogwarts may even earn Malfoy a Cruciatus or ten."

"Very well." Albus replied, "We will delay announcing Drakkaras' return to the public until after you are called again Severus. Does anyone else have anything that should be discussed this evening?" He asked the group.

Drakkara saw a thin, balding, red haired man raise his hand and stand to address the group when Albus pointed to him. First he turned to Drakkara and introduced himself. "My name is Arthur Weasley Miss Vanimaer, and it's a pleasure to meet you. Before I begin I just want to say thank you for curbing the curiosity of my children." The violet-eyed woman smiled a greeting and nodded acceptance of the mans thanks and listened as he addressed the group. "This isn't really anything we can do something about, just something I thought you should know. Lucius Malfoy has been nosing around the Ministry building quite a bit the last week. He's been in private meetings with Fudge, and I believe the Minister now considers him an unofficial advisor on his council."

Arthur sat down next to his wife again and another man stood. "Kingsley Shacklebolt ma'am. I'm an auror with the MLE, in charge of the search for Sirius Black." The large, dark skinned man introduced himself. "I've got another tidbit of information that might tie in with what Arthur just told us. Amelia Bones called me into her office today and relayed orders to me from Fudge to investigate any Dark Magic activity in the areas around London and Hogsmeade for signs of Sirius. With what Arthur just told us, it seems to me like Malfoy is setting it up so that anything the Death Eaters do gets blamed on Sirius."

When the auror again took his seat, Drakkara looked around the table to see if anyone else wanted a turn. Her eyes lit on Bill Weasley down towards the end with another red haired man and she gave him a bright smile, which was returned enthusiastically. When it seemed that no one else wanted to say anything Drakkara stood herself and addressed the headmaster. "Albus, I know we spoke about this a bit this morning, and a little here earlier, but I promised I'd put it to the Order and see what they think, I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all my dear, I was going to say something about it myself once we'd cleared all the official business off the table. Go ahead and have your say, you have my support on the matter" He replied, smiling through his beard at the younger woman.

Violet eyes turned to the group of friends and allies and she spoke softly in a sweet, alto voice. "First of all I'd just like to say that it's good to be back among you. Most of you know me from our last alliance, and I've missed you greatly over the years, yes even you Severus. For those of you I haven't had the pleasure of meeting yet, I look forward to working with you in the future."

She looked around again and her eyes lingered on Sirius, Remus, and the Weasley parents. "What I'd like to talk to you about tonight is the children upstairs, and their involvement in all of this. They're desperate to be included, to have the same information that we do, and to help us in this fight. I realize that to you, they're just children, and children should not have to fight an adult's war. If these were any other group of teenagers I'd probably agree with you. But this group, especially Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, are special. Those three children have already encountered and fought Voldemort and his Death Eaters several times, and come off the better of each fight."

"For those of you that don't know, and may think I have no business concerning the children, Harry is my godson. Each of those teens, from what Fawkes has told me, have unique and valuable talents, and a great desire to help. Hermione I'm told, is a great researcher with an almost photographic memory for everything she's learned. Ron defeated a chess set designed by our dear Minerva at the age of eleven, which is no mean feat, and shows an aptitude and talent for strategy and tactics. Even the twins, though they've never faced the dangers Ron and Hermione have, have a special talent for mischief, and consider themselves the heirs of the Marauders. Most of you know just how valuable the Marauders were in the last war, once we directed their mischief." She paused for breath and looked at her colleagues, pleased to see that most seemed to be considering her words.

"Lastly, we have Harry and Ginny. These two teens have unique experience with Voldemort that I have no doubt could prove invaluable. Harry has an actual magical connection to the Dark Lord that I believe will start to manifest fully now that Voldemort has returned. And Ginny, having actually conversed with a young version of the Dark Lord, and been possessed by his memory, may prove able to give us valuable insights into his motives. I know how hard it may be to think of including children in this war, children we love dearly. But I believe that it would be in everyones best interest to start familiarizing them with the Order and our purpose, giving them some information, and considering any suggestions they may give us. I spoke with them earlier this evening, and they are now determined to show us that they can be trusted, and that they can help if we give them a chance." Drakkara sat down, having finished for the moment, and looked to Albus, Sirius, Remus, and the Weasleys to gauge their reactions.

The headmaster nodded to her, acknowledging that she had made her point. Sirius and Remus looked contemplative. Molly Weasley was trying to hold back tears at the thought of her babies being involved in a war, while her husband looked thoughtful. Albus leaned forward after a few moments to add his opinions to Drakkaras'. "As Drakkara said, it is a hard decision to make, asking for the aid of children to fight an adults war. Until I spoke with her this morning, I too was of the opinion that they should be kept away from such things. But after hearing her views, which are shared by Fawkes, I reconsidered. Years ago, I too had to make the decision to bring people into the Order whom I considered children. Only four of those are left now, and I grieve for the lost ones every day." 

"Sirius, Remus, Drakkara, and Severus, along with James, Lily, Peter, and Alice and Frank Longbottom had just graduated from Hogwarts when I approached them about joining the Order. They were so young, just barely eighteen, but they fought for our side with strength and courage, and each one was affected by the war. Now we're faced with another group of children, these even younger, and again I find myself making the decision to ask for their help. My support is with Drakkaras' suggestion that we begin to include them, slowly, letting them gain our trust in their maturity."

Molly Weasley looked at her husband for a moment before speaking. "Four of those children are mine, my youngest, my babies. The other two are children that I love dearly, and have cared for since I first met them. I'm very proud of all of them, each for their own strengths. I hate the thought of any of them having to face You-Know-Who or the Death Eaters, but what Drakkara said is true, and I almost hate admitting that more. They're children and this is something they shouldn't have to do, but I have no doubt that they will do whatever they feel they must to help us." The woman sighed deeply and let a tear fall. "If we don't let them help us, they'll fight on their own. At least if they're informed, they won't be fighting blind, and they'll have us to help them. As much as I hate it, I'll agree to Drakkaras' plan."

Before anyone else could speak, Remus added his bit, with a quick glance at Sirius to judge his best friends' opinion. "I think Molly summed it up perfectly. We may hate it, we may live to regret it, but we have to do it anyway. Siri and I have experienced first hand what those kids are capable of. Harry, Ron, and Hermione faced off with us, believing that Siri killed Harrys' parents and that I was a mad werewolf. Any other children their age would've run screaming if they were faced with us together, thinking we meant to harm them. Those three listened to what we had to say and made an informed decision when presented with the evidence. Harry even pleaded for Wormtails life, though the rat didn't deserve his kindness and Harry probably regrets his decision now. I think we should trust them and let them show us what else they can do."

Sirius nodded his complete agreement with the werewolf and once the others saw that the childrens parents and parental figures were agreeable, they fell like dominoes. Even Severus, though he growled, grumped, scowled, and glared, decided that the children should be included. 

Albus adjourned the meeting a short while afterwards and people began to leave, either apparating away or using the floo to return home. Before leaving, each person made an effort to speak with Drakkara, the new members introducing themselves, and the old members saying how happy they were that she was alive. Soon enough only a few who did not reside in the house remained. 

Drakkara was standing in the kitchen, talking with Molly and Arthur Weasley when she was suddenly grasped in a bear hug and lifted off her feet. The raven-haired woman squealed as her feet left the ground, and she saw Molly and Arthur laughing. She realized it must be Bill holding her in the air and confirmed it with a glance down at the deeply tanned forearms dusted with ginger blond hairs. "Put me down Cubling! I'm not a toy to be picked up and squeezed!" She cried, which drew the attention of the others in the room.

Bill Weasley laughed loudly and set the smaller woman on her feet again, only to whirl her around to face him and embrace her again. "It's good to see you again Kara. I must have cried for a week when I heard you'd died! Merlin, I've missed you. All through my years at Hogwarts if I was there for Christmas I went into the forest. I always expected you to come through the trees and take me on another adventure, even after I heard you were dead."

The tall redhead nuzzled his face into her neck, remembering the sweet girl who'd been his friend during his first year at school, and made his first Christmas away from home a wonderful day. He felt slender but strong arms wrap around his back and the older woman squeezed him tightly. "I missed you too Cubling, but I had to go, and no one could know that I was still alive somewhere. Forgive me little lion cub. Maybe I'll take you riding this Christmas if you turn up at Hogwarts. Now stand back a minute and let me get a look at you!"

The curse breaker did as she ordered and released her, taking a step back and turning a circle in front of her. "Not such a little lion cub anymore am I?" He said teasingly.

"No, I guess not. My little cubling is all grown up! But really Bill, long hair and an earring? I can only guess what your mother has to say about that. My goodness, but we have a lot to catch up on. Not to mention that Albus, your parents, Nymphadora, and the kids all want to hear the story of your first Christmas at Hogwarts." Drakkara replied, smiling brightly as she ran her fingers through the long red hair and cupped the younger mans cheek for a moment.

Bill laughed and hugged the shorter woman again, "Been telling tales have you? You always were good at telling stories, and I bet you have a hundred more now. Maybe I'll get you to tell me some since you'll be here the rest of the summer. Thank Merlin I'm back in the country for a while, I'd hate to have heard you were back and be stuck in Egypt."

Drakkara gave him a questioning look, "Egypt? It sounds like you have a few stories to tell yourself. How about this, I've heard we're meeting weekly, so after every meeting I'll tell stories for you and whoever wants to listen okay? I remember you used to love hearing my tall tales, but you're a bit too big to sit in my lap for them now" She laughed, remembering that during her school days she could often be found telling stories to the other children.

"Sounds like a plan to me Kara. I really did love your stories, and they're part of why I chose the job I did. I'm a curse breaker for Gringotts now, that's why I was living in Egypt. The tales you told about curses and treasures and warriors and huge adventures really caught me. I went home after first year and told them to my brothers too, and our Christmas adventure and stories about magical creatures is probably what made Charlie go into dragon taming. Have you met Charlie yet?" He asked, turning and pointing to the redhead he'd been sitting next to at the meeting. When she shook her head he called his brother over.

"Charlie, I'd like you to meet my old friend Kara. Remember the seventh year girl I told you all about after my first year, the one whose stories you loved so much, well this is the lady herself. Kara, this is my brother Charlie, the dragon tamer." He made the introductions, slinging an arm over the womans shoulders as he spoke.

The newcomer gaped at his brothers' friend and a bit of awe tinged his voice as he spoke. "This is the story lady? The girl who took you to meet all the creatures in the Forbidden Forest and convinced a unicorn to let you ride on its back?" At Bills nod he took the hand of the woman and kissed it lightly. "It's an honor to meet you Miss Vanimaer. Bill told me so many stories about you over the years. He even took me to the forest in my first year, hoping to see the magical creatures he met with you."

Drakkara laughed lightly and gave Charlie a smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you Charlie, and please call me Kara. I hear you're a dragon tamer? The Romanian dragon preserve I assume? I lived near it for a while, a few years after I left England. They had some wonderful dragons there, a very sweet old Norwegian Ridgeback I got to know quite well."

The woman continued her conversation with the two men, their talk leaning mostly towards dragons and magical creatures. Charlie was quite curious about her beast speaking abilities. Someone must have told the children it was all right for them to come down because Harry and Ron appeared in the middle of Drakkaras' story about meeting the old Ridgeback dragon and becoming friends with it. "Don't tell me Charlies' dragged you into talking about nothing but dragons Kara. I swear all he thinks about is dragons and Quidditch." The youngest Weasley boy commented as he and Harry came to stand with the adults.

"And all you think about is chess and quidditch little brother, so I wouldn't be talking." Charlie stated, ruffling his youngest brothers' hair. "How ya doing there Harry? The eggs from that Horntail you bested have hatched now. We named one of her boys after you; we were so impressed by the way you handled her. My boss, the master of the preserve is even thinking of having us use brooms to help us deal with the more difficult dragons now thanks to you." The redhead grinned, still happy to have been there to see Harry complete the first task of the Triwizard Tournament so well.

The teen blushed in embarrassment; "I'm alright thanks Charlie. I hope the brooms work as well for you as mine did for me. I'd have never gotten my egg without it." 

Drakkara pulled her godson in front of her and rested her arms over his shoulders, "I hear you're the Gryffindor seeker Harry-love. I can't wait to see you fly this year. It'll be like old times with me sitting in the Slytherin stands while rooting for Gryffindor, dear Merlin but I took a lot of flak for that when I was in school." She chuckled lightly, not noticing that Harry and Ron were staring at her in shock.

"You were in Slytherin? I thought you were a Gryffindor, since you were friends with my parents, Sirius and Remus." Harry questioned, looking up over his shoulder at his godmother.

The violet-eyed woman shook her head, "Me, a Gryffindor? Not hardly Harry-love. I was a Slytherin, tried and true. Your mum and I didn't give a fig about the whole house rivalry thing. We met earlier, before we were sorted and it didn't matter afterwards that we were in different houses. After a while the Gryffindors kind of adopted me as their token Slytherin, once they figured out I wasn't evil. Even Bill here didn't care once he got to know me and he was a tiny little first year when we met. He used to brave the dungeons all the time to come find me in the Slytherin common room."

Bill laughed loudly, soon joined by the others, "What can I say? There was a beautiful, older woman trapped in the dungeons with a bunch of snakes. I had to play the hero and come rescue her, though it ended up with her saving me the first few times. She threatened to hex the other Slytherins so badly their children would feel it if they didn't leave me alone. Surprisingly, it worked, and they didn't bother me anymore except for nasty comments about Karas' lion cub."

The group was still talking and laughing when Remus and Sirius joined them a few minutes later. "Kara, Moody's had his eye on you for about twenty minutes, you might want to get the kids out of the line of fire and put a shield up." The animagus commented seriously.

"I know Siri, I can feel him watching me. That's why I've got my back to the room and Harry directly in front of me. Bill and Charlie are shielding Ron. When he comes at me just pretend you don't see him." The woman gave a slightly sinister chuckle.

The two men moved to stand on either side of her, completely blocking Harry and Ron from any stray curses. "What are you going to do Kara? You know Moody always throws at least one really painful curse at you when he does this. If you two start dueling right here in the kitchen someone's going to get hurt." Remus asked worriedly.

Drakkara smiled in anticipation as she replied, "Don't worry so much Remy. Moody has always had a great aim; he won't hit anyone but me. This time I thought I'd just wait until he finished and then ask him if he likes my outfit. It ought to prove entertaining."

Everyone was giving her curious and slightly fearful looks, "Wait till he finishes cursing you and ask him if he likes your outfit? Kara are you out of your mind?" Sirius asked, shooting a glance over his shoulder at the ex-auror.

"Mmm-hmm. Just wait and see you'll understand when it's over. He'll be here any minute now, I can tell. Remember, just pretend that you don't see him." She told them, giving a little shiver of excitement. She always managed to get the best of the famous auror in the most unusual ways, and their duels were legendary among the order members.

Just as she'd said it would, Moody crept up to the group a couple minutes later and aimed his wand at Drakkaras' back. Spells flew from his mouth in rapid-fire succession, and by the time the first hit her exposed back, four more were on their way. Mad-Eye Moody gaped in shock as the curses he'd fired hit the younger woman and just…bounced back. He was too surprised to put up a shield before his own series of spells rebounded off her body and back at their caster.

A moment later everyone in the room gathered around the prone body of the ex-auror, with Drakkara kneeling beside him, a half amused, half despairing look on her face. "So Alastor, how do you like my outfit?" She asked lightly, as if he wasn't lying on the floor under the effects of his own curses. "Let's see what you've gotten yourself into this time. Hmm, good combination with the spellwork. First was a shield dispel right? Second was a Fire-Eater curse, the dragon fire variation to stop me voicing any spells in retaliation. Merlin that must hurt, let's take it off shall we?" 

She removed her wand from its sheath and recited a complex counter curse. "Now, after that nasty little curse was a leg locker to stop any physical attack, then a disarming charm to take my wand and knives away, and the last was a full body bind to take me out. I always said you did some lovely curse work, and I always enjoyed going on Death Eater raids with you." She then recited the dispelling charm to remove the effects of the leg locker and body bind, and held a hand out to help the older man back to his feet. "So, now that you can talk again, what do you think of my outfit?"

"What? What do I think of your bloody clothes you say? I want to know what the hell made those curses rebound the way they did!" Moody shouted, waving his arms in violent gesticulation.

Drakkara held her hands up, palms out to calm the auror. "Calm down Alastor, you'll give yourself apoplexy. I asked how you liked my outfit because that's what repelled your curses."

The older wizards' normal eye widened and his jaw dropped open. "Your clothes repelled those curses? You telling me that you didn't have any shields up at all? Right then, what the hell are you wearing that can rebound curses like that?"

The younger woman smiled and gestured for her old sparring partner and the others to take a seat around the table. She sat down across from Moody and removed the chopsticks from her hair, letting the thick mass of long black hair fall to her hips. "These repelled the fire eater curse. They're imbued with the strongest shielding charms I know, unbreakable unless you cast the counter to each individual shield. They cover me from head to shoulders where my blouse takes over."

"The blouse is made from the hide of a cold drake, which is a snake like beast with four legs, just a bit smaller than a basilisk. I ended up having to kill this one in northern Russia about six years ago, it attacked the village I was staying in. I took its hide as my reward from the people since I'd found out the hard way that it repelled curses. The blouse threw off the dispel and the body bind, but I've tested it and it'll repel most anything. The disarming charm didn't work because my wand and knives are sheathed in leather spelled to specifically rebound any spell to remove them, and will burn anyone attempting to take them physically, except me. My skirt is made of crushed fibers of dragon scales which repel spells naturally." She explained easily, appeasing her friends' curiosity.

Most of her friends were gaping in wonder at the clothes and accessories that acted as natural shields against spellwork, though some, like Albus and Alastor, were eyeing the clothing as if calculating how they could get something like that for the order members. "How hard is it to get clothes like that girl? If we could get a uniform like that for the field order members it'd cut down our injuries, casualties, and captures by a hell of a lot." Moody finally asked.

The dark haired woman considered before saying, "It'd be very difficult to get things like this Alastor. Cold drakes are very rare from what I've heard, and it takes a lot of effort to kill one without magic. Besides being basically immune to most spells, their eyes are hypnotic, and they'll draw you to them for an easy meal. You can throw it off like the Imperius but it takes a lot of effort. Not to mention if we did manage to kill one and take its hide, it takes about six months to treat the hide so that its pliable enough to wear as clothing and still retain its repellant properties. Same with the dragon scale skirt; it takes a lot of scales, the effort to crush them down to fibers, and then make material from them."

"What about the hide you already have Drakkara? Is there enough left to do anything with? You did say it was quite a large creature." Albus asked, hopeful that she could come up with something for the sake of his colleagues.

Drakkara nodded happily, "Yes, I do have quite a bit left, its stored in my trunk. Once I had the hide treated I made a few things with it. A second blouse like this and a full length dress for myself and some shirts about the right size for Siri and Remy. If I got into my trunk and actually looked at the clothes I've made from bits and pieces of that hide over the years I could probably come up with shirts for a few of the order members. I have some of the scale fiber material left too. This skirt is all that I've made from it, and I was given an entire bolt of the material as a gift from some people I stayed with a few years ago."

The headmaster nodded, extremely pleased with his young friend. "Well, that is something we'll look into before the school term starts. I would feel a great deal better about sending order members into potentially dangerous situations if they were wearing protective clothing such as yours. For now though, it has been a very long day and I believe we could all use a good nights sleep."

The older wizards suggestion was quickly agreed on by everyone and they retired to their rooms on the upper floors of the large house after saying good night and good-bye to those who were leaving for their own homes. Those remaining at Grimmauld Place separated on the second floor, each to their own rooms to change into pajamas and retire for the night. 

Sometime after the meeting ended, Molly Weasley had removed Drakkaras' trunk from the sitting room and placed it in one of the few clean bedrooms on the third floor. She directed the younger woman as to where she would be sleeping and left to her own room on the second floor with her husband and the children. The raven-haired woman headed up the stairs after promising to come back down soon to say good night to her godson.

Drakkara found her bedroom easily and gratefully sat down on the huge four poster bed. Unadulterated joy washed through her as she remembered all that had happened today. She had her family back, and they were happy to see her. She'd reunited with her old allies from the Order, caught up with her cubling and met his family, watched Alastor get hit with his own curses which was always fun, and she'd gotten the efforts of the children recognized by the adults who formed the Order. It had turned out to be a wonderful day, and she was now thoroughly exhausted and looking forward to a good nights sleep.

Standing again, Drakkara aimed her wand at her trunk and enlarged it to its proper size. She quickly opened the fourth compartment and looked down into a large room that held her extensive wardrobe. Stepping down into the trunk, she undressed and placed her outfit on a rack labeled 'Laundry'. Her sandals went back with the large assortment of shoes on the floor next to the wall, her knives and hair sticks to a table holding jewelry and accessories. 

Next she walked to one of the wall racks set near the ladder out of the trunk and chose a sleep set in sky blue that consisted of a silk tank top and matching boxer shorts. A knee length robe of white cotton went over the sleepwear and matching white slippers were slid onto her feet before she climbed up the ladder and exited the trunk. She closed the closet compartment and opened another, then used her wand to summon out a perch and glass tank for her familiars. Placing the objects next to her bed and depositing her familiars on the perch, she made her way back downstairs.

Knocking softly on Harry and Ron's door and receiving a reply for her to enter, Drakkara opened the door to find her godson sitting up in bed talking to his best friend. "Hey boys, I just came down to say good night. I'm sure Molly will be coming in soon to do a bed check so you two need to get to sleep." She said, walking over to Harrys' bed and sitting down next to him.

"Yeah, Mum's been doing bed checks every night since we got here. Is your room all right Kara? Most of the rooms in this place are filthy and full of nasty Dark Arts stuff." Ron said lightly, lying back in his bed.

Nodding, Drakkara replied, "It's fine Ron, thanks for asking. I'll have to check for Dark Arts stuff in the morning though; I didn't really look when I was up there. Harry, would you like me to conjure up a perch or tank for Siranev in here? She'll need something to sleep on when she's not with you until we can get to Diagon Alley and get some proper things for her." The serpent had moved from Drakkara to Harry after the meeting and was now sleeping on the boys' wrist.

"Yeah, thanks Kara. I was wondering where I could put her for the night. I need something that'll keep her safe from Hedwig and Pig until they're used to her and realize she's not food." Harry replied, smiling over at the two owls in their cages on the desk.

Drakkara pulled her wand out and conjured a suitable habitat for Harrys' familiar and put a strong shielding charm around it to keep the owls from getting too curious. Harry got out of bed and walked over to the new tank, depositing his companion into it and hissing a good night to the snake. When he came back to the bed Drakkara stood and held her arms out to him, "Alright then Harry-love, it seems you're set for the night. Give us a hug now and hit the sack. I'm not sure what we'll be doing tomorrow but I'll try for something fun."

The raven-haired teen embraced his godmother tightly, reveling in her warmth and the comfort of being held by her. After a moment she released him with a last squeeze and a kiss on the forehead. "Good-night Harry-love. Sleep well, and I'll see you in the morning." She said softly. 

Harry got into bed under the covers and laid his head on the pillow. The violet-eyed woman bent down and smoothed his hair away from his eyes and tucked the covers around his shoulders before heading for the door. With another softly spoken good night to the two boys, she turned out the light and left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Back upstairs, Drakkara entered her room to find it occupied by the last two Marauders. Dressed in their drawstring pajama pants, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black were sitting on the chaise lounge in her room sipping cups of hot tea. "Hey guys, I thought I might find you up here. We haven't had half a minute for a private talk all day." She greeted warmly.

Sitting their cups on the low table where another cup rested, presumably for her, the two men rose and walked to their old friend. Remus gathered her gently in his strong arms, pressing her face to his bare shoulder, while Sirius wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, leaning down to rest his cheek on the top of her head. Drakkara put one arm around the werewolf and rested the other over the crossed arms of the animagus, twining their fingers. They stood like this for many long moments, silently reuniting.

Drakkara felt tears start to well up in her eyes and did nothing to stop them from falling this time. She cried silently into her former fiancés' shoulder, releasing fourteen years of grief over losing the two men who she called family. "Oh Merlin, I'm so sorry Remy, Siri. I never should have left, no matter what Albus said. I missed you two and Harry every day, so much sometimes I thought I would die from it. I'm so sorry for leaving you." The woman sobbed, clutching the two men to draw them as close to her as possible.

"Shh Love, you couldn't have known what would happen. From what Albus told us there was no choice. If you hadn't left you would have lost control again and we would've lost you anyway." Remus whispered, letting a few tears of his own fall as he nuzzled the womans pale throat.

Sirius squeezed her tightly and added his own words to comfort the woman. "Remy's right Kara, you couldn't have known. You always did what you thought was best for everyone. I have no doubt that when you left you thought it was in our best interest. You thought Remy and I would be together, and that we'd have Harry to take care of and keep us from grieving too much. Maybe things would have ended up different if you hadn't left, or if Albus had called you back when I was arrested, but we'll never know. It's in the past and we're both just happy to have you back with us now."

For a moment, Drakkara cold only cry harder, not really believing that her friend and lover would welcome her back so easily, that they weren't angry with her for deserting them. "You have no idea how happy I am to be back, how happy I am to be here with you two. I never stopped worrying about you or wondering how you were doing. I thought of you everywhere I went, whenever I learned something new or saw something you would love. After a while, the only thing that kept me from coming back was the thought that you would reject me, would hate me for leaving you when we needed each other the most. I don't think I'll ever forgive myself for abandoning you."

"We've all done things we regret Kara. All that matters is that you're back now and we're together again. The three of us will take care of each other and Harry from now on, and we won't let anything separate us again." Remus said in a quiet, confident tone. 

Needing no more words, they stood together in silence, taking comfort in each other and the strong bonds of love and friendship they shared. Years before, their embrace would've included Lily and James, and at one time even Peter; but these three were all that was left of the tight knit group of friends and Remus was right, they would take care of each other and let nothing tear them apart again.

Eventually, they loosed their hold on each other and moved to sit together on the lounge, drinking their now cold tea and talking about everything and nothing. Hours later, overcome with exhaustion from the emotional day, all three stumbled towards the bed and collapsed under its covers, tangled together in an embrace that spoke of long friendship and love.


	7. Chapter 6

****

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 6

The new day dawned, bright and clear and thoroughly ignored by many occupants of the house on Grimmauld Place. Molly Weasley was up early, bustling around the kitchen to make breakfast for the large group of people living in the house, and seeing her husband Arthur off to work. When the food was ready, she headed up to the second floor and woke the six teenagers. The Weasley children and Hermione threw on robes and slippers and rushed downstairs to eat, while Harry offered to go up to the third floor and wake the other adults.

The bespectacled teen went up the staircase and knocked on his godmothers' door. Receiving no answer, he decided she must be a heavy sleeper and opened the door quietly so he could go in and wake her. The scene he found when he looked at the large four poster bed had him stifling his laughter. Both his godparents and his former professor were lying in a tangled heap on the bed; the covers kicked off onto the floor. 

Remus was lying on his side, closest to the door, with one arm thrown over Harrys' godmother, who was cuddled into his bare chest. Sirius was sprawled diagonally across his part of the bed, snoring into Drakkaras' waist, which he was using as a pillow. "Hmm, do I wake them up or do I join them? Food or sleep, food or sleep? Who am I kidding, food now!" The teen thought before rushing over to the bed and leaping on top of the trio, startling them into wakefulness.

The three adults squawked in startled fright when the heavy weight of the boy landed on them. Drakkara had her wand half way out of its sheath, prepared to fight off the threat, when her godsons' voice sounded loudly from somewhere in the vicinity of Sirius' stomach. "Oy, time to wake up! Mrs. Weasley says breakfast is ready!"

"And you couldn't have told us this without jumping on us?" Sirius mumbled as the three sat up, untangling themselves and rolling the laughing teenager off of them.

Harry sat up, still giggling. "Umm, no?" He said, plastering an innocent expression on his face, which he completely ruined by snickering at the rumpled, sleepy eyed trio.

Drakkara laughed at her godsons' attempt to keep himself out of trouble. "Alright Harry-love. Mission accomplished. Now go downstairs and eat your breakfast. We'll be down as soon as we get dressed."

The boy shook his head and crawled off the bed, "Don't bother, everyone else is still in their pajamas, even Mrs. Weasley. Come downstairs now and eat or there won't be any left after Ron and the twins are finished."

Groaning and rubbing aching backs from sleeping in awkward positions, the adults rolled out of bed and headed for the door. "Come on then kiddo. Let's get some breakfast in you and then we old folks can come back up here and get some more sleep." Sirius said, slinging an arm over his godsons' thin shoulders.

"Eurgh, all I want right now is coffee. Lots and lots of coffee. And a bathroom! This is the second morning in a row I've been woken up by something heavy jumping on my bladder. If I didn't know better I'd swear you'd been talking to Fawkes." Drakkara complained as they walked down the stairs. 

They joined the Weasleys and Hermione in the kitchen a minute later, after making Drakkaras' required stop at the bathroom, still grumbling and rubbing their eyes. Drakkara waved the men and boy into their seats and headed straight for the coffee pot. She poured out three steaming mugs and added sugar and milk from memory for her friends. After depositing the coffee in front of Sirius and Remus, she poured pumpkin juice into a glass for Harry and dished up some of the scrambled eggs and bacon for all of them.

After taking a sip from her coffee cup, the rumpled woman sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Molly, you are a truly wonderful woman. Thank you for getting up early and making all of this. I'm no great shakes in the kitchen myself and I can't think straight until I've had my morning coffee. I don't know how you do it, but I greatly appreciate the effort." She complimented, smiling over at the older woman.

"I'll second that. Kara never could put a meal together to save her life. Brew a perfect potion, make coffee or tea in her sleep yes, but can't boil water without burning it if it's for food." Remus teased, taking a sip from his own mug and smiling at the perfect blend of coffee, milk, and sugar that his mate had made from memory.

The raven-haired woman stuck her tongue out at the werewolf and lightly kicked him under the table. "Oh shut up you. I remember a certain barbecue where your steaks came off the grill still mooing."

The werewolf choked on his eggs and had to clear his throat before replying, gesticulating with his fork. "That was steak tar-tar Drakkara Vanimaer and you know it! It was supposed to be like that."

This time it was Sirius who choked before adding his comments. "Funny how you're still claiming that fifteen years after the fact Remy. As I recall you were the only one to eat that nasty stuff. James took the rest of ours back to the grill until we were sure it was actually dead. We all figured it was just too close to the full moon and you were craving raw meat."

In full agreement, the raven-haired man and woman laughed at their beloved friend and his 'steak tar-tar'. Seeing the werewolf glare reprovingly at them only heightened their enjoyment and started the children giggling as well. "You have no taste, either of you. You never have, and you never will. Bloody barbarians the both of you." Remus stated indignantly before giving in and joining the laughing group.

"Barbarians, all right I can deal with that. Ugh, men shut up, me want food now." Drakkara teased, grunting and digging into her eggs with relish. After another fit of laughter over her antics, the rest of the group decided she had the right idea and finished eating their breakfast.

When they'd all finished eating and Drakkara had sent the dishes off to wash themselves while Sirius poured out more coffee, the group of adults and teenagers lingered in the kitchen, not quite ready to face the new day. "Well, does anyone have any plans for today?" Molly finally asked.

"I told Harry I'd try to find something fun to do today, but I guess that depends on what needs to be done. If it weren't for the promise we made to Severus last night, I'd be going into Diagon Alley, but that'll hold for a while. Is there anything specific you'd like us to do Molly?" Drakkara said lightly before taking another invigorating sip from her coffee cup.

The red haired woman nodded, "I was hoping to get some help cleaning out the drawing room this morning. It's big enough to hold meetings in once we remove the Dark Arts things and clean it up a bit. The curtains in there are infested with doxies, not to mention the dust and grime. A good mornings work should give us a start at least. This afternoon I need to go into Diagon Alley and run a few errands, but there's nothing else I can think of off hand."

The younger woman thought a moment and nodded her agreement. "How about this. We'll help out in the drawing room this morning; I know a few spells that will help. When you leave for the shops, Remus, Sirius and I will take the kids out into muggle London for lunch and shopping. When we get back the kids can put in a few hours on their summer assignments. All that should make for a full day."

There was some general complaining from the teens over the suggestions of cleaning and homework and a hearty round of ayes over the proposed trip into London. Molly, Remus, and Sirius also agreed to the plan and everyone left the kitchen to put on some old clothes for cleaning.

The morning passed quickly, with everyone pitching in to aid in the detoxification of the drawing room. Drakkara used a handy spell she'd learned in University to identify all the Dark Arts objects in the room and make them glow a warning red. The adults took care of removing the harmful items while the teens, armed with spray bottles of doxiecide and handkerchiefs over their faces, dealt with the infested curtains. After just a few hours working steadily, the large room began to look better. Spells flew from the wands of the adults and banished huge amounts of dust, dirt, and grime. The teens swept, dusted out the corners, and polished the furniture until it shone. 

When Molly called a halt at noon, the group collapsed onto whatever piece of furniture or floor space was available to them, glad that it was at least clean enough now to sit on. "My goodness, but you're a bunch of hard workers! I didn't expect to get half as much done as we have. I think we all deserve our little shopping break after this. Let's go back upstairs and have our showers and put on clean clothes so we can leave." The older woman suggested merrily.

Her suggestion was taken up enthusiastically by the teenagers and there was an immediate stampede up the stairs accompanied by shouts claiming dibs on this bathroom or that. The adults moved slower, knowing that each of their bedrooms had its own private bathroom. They laughed their way down the hall at the antics of the children under their care, especially Ginny who was screaming at a closed bathroom door where apparently one of her brothers had usurped her place in line for the shower.

A much cleaner and better-dressed group assembled in the kitchen about half an hour later. Sirius was the last to come in and had a worried expression on his face. "Hey Kara, I hope you have a plan for getting me into London unnoticed. I'm a wanted criminal, even in the muggle world."

The raven-haired woman tapped her finger against her lips for a moment, eyeing her friend up and down. "I can put a glamour on you easily enough, change the hair and eye color, a few facial adjustments, no one will recognize you. Come sit over here." She gestured to the chair in front of her.

The black haired, blue eyed man sat in front of his long time friend and eyed her wand warily. "Be gentle with me Kara, you've been here a whole day and I haven't pranked you once." He pleaded convincingly, gazing at her with puppy dog eyes.

She laughed lightly before looking around the room at the children, closing her eyes, and pointing the wand of golden wood at her friend. The new features Drakkara had designed behind her closed eyelids gradually slid over the famous face of Sirius Black and settled into place. Long black hair shortened and turned Weasley red, sparkling blue eyes darkened to cinnamon brown, olive-toned skin paled and dotted itself with freckles. Facial features shifted only slightly as the woman chanted softly in Latin, but when she finished the overall effect was amazing.

"Oh, you've turned him into a young Arthur!" Molly cried, chuckling at the widening brown eyes of the animagus. 

Drakkara laughed, also seeing her friends' reaction at being turned into a Weasley. "Yep. Harry and Hermione look enough like Remus and I to be our children, so we needed a redhead to vouch for the other four. Weasleys, meet your Uncle Paddy."

Sirius growled at his friend, "Conjure me up a mirror you little wretch, I want to see what you've done to my poor face." When given the mirror he inspected his new face closely, swiping at the freckles that now adorned his nose and cheeks. Finally, he sighed and said, "I suppose it isn't too bad. You could've made me a Malfoy or a Snape after all."

The other adults chuckled while the teens stood horrified at the thought of their friend being made to look like Lucius Malfoy or their hated potions teacher. "Alright then, it seems you're all set so I'll be off now. Oh, how are you planning to get into London? If you floo to the Leaky Cauldron you'll be recognized, and the Knight Bus would attract unwanted attention here." Molly asked as she picked up her handbag and checked that her wand was inside it.

After considering a moment Remus voiced an idea, "There's a good apparation spot in the alley next to the Leaky Cauldron, and enough of us here to take all the kids with us. Siri and I know the spot well enough to apparate and Kara can get a visual from one of us."

The idea was quickly agreed upon and after Drakkara touched Remus' mind with her own for a moment, she had a visual of where they were going. Molly left first, apparating directly into Diagon Alley, and left the other three adults to sort out who would be apparating with whom.

Ginny and Hermione commandeered Remus as their escort, latching onto his arms and earning a smile from the handsome werewolf. Harry and Ron chose Drakkara, leaving Sirius with the rambunctious twins. Sirius and Remus left with their charges first, while Drakkara wrote a quick note to anyone from the Order who happened to stop by, letting them know the whereabouts of the group.

She, along with Harry and Ron, joined the rest a few moments later in the alley. Relying on Hermione, who was familiar with the London shopping district, to lead them to the nearest mall, they soon found themselves ensconced in a nice hamburger restaurant inside a large shopping center.

Over a delicious lunch of hamburgers and chips, the group of teenagers talked over what they'd like to do for the afternoon. They eventually decided to split up into three groups, two teens with each adult. Drakkara, Hermione, and Harry would each be in one group as they were the most familiar with shopping in the muggle world. "How's this guys. Remus, Hermione and George in one group; Paddy, you'll have Harry and Ron in a second group, and Fred, Ginny and I will go out together."

The others agreed, and Drakkara had them block her from view of the public for a moment while she quickly transfigured some napkins into convincing identification for Remus and Sirius. She gave the new drivers licenses to her friends, along with a platinum credit card. "These are real credit cards guys, under one of the aliases I've been using. Hermione and Harry can tell you how to use them to pay for everything, and I'll write out some authorization notes to go along with them."

Everyone except Harry and Hermione eyed the pieces of plastic warily, having never heard of using a credit card to pay for things, since such things didn't exist in the wizarding world. Remus looked closely at the platinum visa card in his hand. "Cute Kara, I like the name. Siriana J. Lupin, is this the name you've been hiding under?"

"One of them yeah, along with different disguises. I've also been known as Carrie Sumer, Lillian Dogstar, Harriet Evans, and Carissa Potter, along with various others. I haven't used Siriana in a while, she was just the first identity to come out of the box when I got into my trunk for shopping money." The violet-eyed woman explained.

The group left the restaurant, after Drakkara showed them how to use the credit cards by paying for their lunch with one. Before they split up, she spoke to them briefly. "Okay guys, this is supposed to be your afternoon of fun, so don't hold back because I'm not sure Albus will let us make any more of these trips. You have my permission to go wild with the shopping, those cards have no limit." 

"Harry, there's a one hour optometrists shop over there, why don't you have your eyes checked and treat yourself to some new glasses. And I want to see each of you with at least one bag of new clothes when we meet back here in two hours. And before you even think of protesting, forget it. Consider this little shopping spree as the Christmas and birthday presents I wasn't here to give you until now. Harry, Paddy, and Remy are my family, and the rest of you have been good friends to them over the years, so go on and have fun." With many thanks and hugs from Harry, Sirius, and Remus, the large group split up into three smaller ones. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Harry took his godmothers' suggestion and his first stop with Sirius and Ron was the optometrist shop. They were able to fit him in for an eye exam right away and twenty minutes later he had an updated prescription, had chosen nice new frames, and was told he could pick up his new spectacles in an hour.

The trios' next stop was a large department store to pick out some new clothes. All three had fun sorting through jeans, slacks, tee shirts, dress shirts and more, picking out what they liked. Sirius had no trouble choosing a huge armload of clothes to buy, as he knew that his friend had more galleons in her vault than any of the three richest pureblood families combined. When Harry and Ron seemed to be showing reluctance to spend a great deal of money, he quietly explained that to them and reminded them of Drakkaras' comments earlier. 

Once reassured that Drakkara could well afford anything they might want, and that she'd only be angry if they didn't indulge themselves, the boys really got into the spirit. Harry was looking forward to wearing clothes that actually fit him, and Ron was anxious to show up at the train station wearing brand new clothes that Malfoy couldn't scoff at rather than his usual hand me downs.

During their two-hour spree, they also managed to visit the game shop, sports shop, and a toy store, each time coming out with more bags than before. While sitting on one of the many benches in the mall sipping on cokes, Harry and Ron decided to implement the deal they'd made with Hermione and George before they split up. Harry eyed the jewelry store across from them and said, "Hey Paddy, I dare you to get your ear pierced over there."

"Do what? You're kidding me right Harry? You don't really want to see your old godfather sporting an earring do you?" The older man asked, his eyes pleading for the teen to be joking.

Ron added his encouragement to Harrys' suggestion. "Oh go on Paddy, it'd look cool! Bills got one, he says the women love it. Plus it'd really annoy Mum to have two guys with long hair and earrings around the house. Come on, we both dare you."

Sirius put his head in his hands and shook it side to side, grumbling under his breath. "I've never turned down a dare in my life, but you two are pushing it. I'm thirty-eight years old for Merlin's sake. You really want me to do this?"

The two teens nodded their heads enthusiastically and cried, "YES!" Sensing the older mans defeat, they leapt off the bench and grabbed Sirius' arms to pull him up and haul him into the jewelry store, laughing as he dragged his feet.

A minute later the disguised escaped convict was pushed into a chair in front of a lighted mirror, watching in horror as his godson and the boys best friend conversed with a pretty young girl hardly older than they were. "What color stud d'you think Ron?" The raven-haired teen asked.

"I like the blue one Harry, at least to start him with. We oughta find some others for later though." Replied the redhead eagerly. When both Harry and the sales girl who'd be doing the piercing agreed on the color and the girl opened a drawer in the vanity table to remove the piercing gun and a purple felt tip pen, the animagus finally realized this wasn't some horrible nightmare.

Ron went off to find some earrings to replace the sapphire starter stud, not actually wanting to see Sirius get a hole punched in his ear. Harry stayed with his godfather to lend moral support and hold the older mans hand as the bubbly blond girl first made a dot on Sirius' right earlobe with the pen, then placed a deep blue stud in her gun, held it over the mark, and fired.

"YEOW! Bloody hell!" Sirius cried, clutching at his godsons' hand and whimpering at the pain in his ear. "That's it, I'm never taking another dare again! You two are lucky Molly and Kara would kill me if I brought you back with holes in your ears or I'd make you do this too! That bloody well HURT!"

With the procedure over, Ron came back in time to join his best friend in laughter at the older mans whining. "Oh come on Paddy, it couldn't have hurt that bad. Hermione and Ginny both have their ears pierced and Kara has three holes in each of her ears, I saw em earlier. She went through it six times, you only had to do it once."

The older man groaned in sympathy, "I always said she was insane. I hope you found whatever bits of metal you want me to put in later, because I want to get out of here and put some ice on my poor ear. Besides, it's almost time to meet the others."

Ron had indeed found several studs and small hoops he thought would look good in the animagus' ear and after receiving instructions on how to care for his ear while it healed and paying for the studs, piercing, and cleaning solution, the trio left the shop. "Mission accomplished." Harry whispered quietly to his friend behind Sirius' back. 

* * * * * * * * * *

Ten minutes after leaving the others, Drakkara was wishing she'd taken both girls and left her former fiancé with the twins. Fred was a whirlwind of energy, and had questions about everything he saw. She and Ginny had tried to lead the redhead into Bloomingdales for clothing first, but he refused to budge after seeing a remote controlled robot in the display window of the electronics store. It took twenty minutes, and a new robot of his very own to get the teen moving toward their desired destination.

Walking into the clothing department of the huge store, Drakkara was immediately in her element, and Ginny only lacked the older womans twenty extra years of experience in the art that was shopping. Both women attacked the racks with vigor, exchanging half-worded conversations as they held clothes out for examination of style, color, and quality. 

Both women took great offense to the red haired boys' affection for worn denim and plaid flannel. He was handed tee shirts, dress shirts, sweaters, and slacks of all kinds and told in no uncertain terms that he would be trying them all on, modeling them, and taking only the best home with him. Once they had him sorted out with half a dozen new outfits, they headed into no mans land, otherwise known as the ladies wear department, which included ladies lingerie.

By the time Drakkara and Ginny were finished indulging themselves in clothing bliss, Freds' face was a darker shade of red than his hair. In a show of true Gryffindor bravery, he took both women by the arm, led them to the counter with the clothes they'd chosen for all three of them, and placed the items on the counter in front of the startled sales woman. Before his courage faded, the boy removed Drakkaras' purse from her shoulder, opened it, and pulled out the credit card. "Ring it all up ma'am, here's the plastic to pay for it. And could you hurry please? I don't know how long I can hold these two."

Loaded down with bags, Fred led his youngest sibling and the older woman firmly out of the huge department store. "Never again, you hear me? You want to model dresses and bikinis and whatnot that's fine. I'm sure Mum, Tonks, and Hermione would love to join you. But you'll leave me behind understood? If you have to have a mans opinion on your clothes you take someone else. Remus, Sirius, hell even Dumbledore or Snape, I don't care, but never me, never again!"

Drakkara and Ginny exchanged amused glances as the young prankster guided them through the mall, muttering under his breath about never wanting to know what his sister wore under her clothes, and still blushing fire engine red. "Alright Fred, we promise to leave you home next time we go clothes shopping. Now where should we go next? If it wouldn't offend your delicate sensibilities, I'd like to stop at the music store and see if there's anything new that's good." The older woman said, laughing lightly, and pointing at the music store.

The trio spent a good amount of time inside the music store, with Drakkara quietly explaining how the CD's and CD players worked. She let each of them pick out a couple of CD's they thought might be good, offering them the use of her CD player back at the house to listen to the music and judge whether they wanted to get their own players or not. She grabbed a couple of CD's herself, and wandered over to the DVD section where she picked up copies of a few movies that looked interesting. 

After they finished in the music shop, the trio wandered around, looking into different shops, the teens asking their dark haired companion about things they saw that they didn't understand. About fifteen minutes before they had to rejoin the others, Ginny spoke up. "Kara, would you mind if we went into the pet shop over there? I want to look at the animals." She asked shyly.

"Of course dear, that sounds like a good idea. What say you Fred, want to go play with the puppies and kittens for a few minutes?" The freckle faced boy agreed and they went into the small pet store. Drakkara and Fred wandered back towards the reptiles, the woman to look at the accessories the store had for serpents, thinking of getting a proper tank and perch for Siranev, the teen to take a closer look at the large iguana he'd seen.

Ginny was left on her own for the moment, and went to take a closer look at the kittens in their wire cage. She cooed and petted the ones who came forward when she poked her fingers through the wire, but her eyes kept straying to the far corner of the cage where an unusual looking kitten lay curled in a ball. This particular kitten was smaller than the others, and had an unusual coloring. 

While the others in the cage with it were either black and white, or black and gray striped, this kitten was off white in color with very light gray markings on its body. Unable to resist, Ginny moved to the other side of the cage so that she could reach her fingers through the wire to touch the small kittens fur. "Ouch!" she cried softly as her fingers received a small jolt of electric shock the moment they touched the animal.

The kitten stirred and raised its head, opening its eyes to gaze at the girl who'd woken it. Ginnys' cinnamon brown eyes met a pair of feline eyes the color of the sky during a storm. Gray eyes, so dark they were almost black, the different shades of gray seemed to be whirling like a tornado. The girl found herself unable to look away, caught in the stormy gaze.

The staring contest was only broken when another customer, a large woman with a miniature poodle under her arm, bumped into Ginny as she passed, knocking the girl off balance. When she'd recovered herself and shaken her head to clear it, Ginny ran toward the back of the store to find her brother and Drakkara. Seeing the violet-eyed woman petting the hide of an iguana, the red haired girl ran up to her older companion and took hold of her hand. "Kara, come quick. There's something weird about one of the kittens I was looking at. There's no way it's an ordinary cat." She said anxiously, looking over her shoulder toward the kitten cage.

"Okay Ginny, show me which one. What makes you think it isn't a normal kitten?" The older woman replied, walking with the nervous teen back the way she'd come.

Ginny held up the fingers of her right hand. "When I reached in to pet it, it shocked me. It looks a lot different from the others in the cage too. And it has the strangest eyes I've ever seen, they look like the sky during a really bad storm. I couldn't stop looking at it until some woman knocked me over and broke my eye contact with it." The girl finished explaining just as they reached the cage and she pointed at the strange kitten, which was once again curled up, appearing to be asleep.

Drakkara took one look at the small bundle of fur and knew Ginny was right. The kitten was surrounded by a magical aura, which only those who were trained could see. Fortunately for the raven-haired woman, she'd seen another animal like this once, and knew what it was. She knelt down beside the cage, as close as she could get to the kitten. "Ginny, stand next to me and block anyone from seeing me." She said softly.

The redhead did as she was asked and stood so that no one could see what the older woman was doing. She watched curiously as Drakkara said something in the strange language she used when talking to animals.

"Element cub, how do you come to be in this place?" Drakkara said softly, speaking to the kitten. The small animal jolted in surprise at hearing someone speaking to it in a proper language.

The kitten raised its small head and looked directly at the woman, noting that the fire haired child was back and watching him again. "I was brought here by the humans my mother lived with. The others in this cage are my brothers and sisters, though they have none of my abilities. Tell me Speaker, can you take me away from here? I wish to leave this place with the fire girl."

Drakkara nodded and replied softly, "Yes, I will take you with me. The fire haired child is the friend of one I call my cub. If you wish to stay with her, I believe she would agree, once she understands your nature. Have you a name Element cub?"

The kitten sat upright and spoke again, "The humans here do not name the creatures in their care. If the fire girl will accept me I will allow her to choose a name for me."

"I will speak with her now. Her name is Ginny. Have you enough control over your element to allow her to carry you?" Drakkara asked and received a nod in reply. She stood up and turned to Ginny, switching to English as she spoke to the girl. "Ginny, I'm very glad you brought this kitten to my attention. He's an elemental cat, air elemental by the look of him. They're very, very rare and always born to normal cats. We need to get him out of here, and what's more he wants to leave with us, specifically you. He likes you and wants to stay with you. Would you like to keep him as your familiar?"

Ginny looked down at the kitten and found him looking right back at her. He stood up on his hind legs and put his forelegs on the wire cage as if asking her to pick him up. "He really wants to stay with me? I'd love to have him Kara, he's so beautiful!"

The raven-haired woman smiled and smoothed the girls fiery red hair back with her hand. "Yes, he really wants to stay with you. Go ahead and pick him up, he won't shock you this time. We'll get Fred and pay for your new friend and then go meet the others."

The young girl bent down and held out her hand to the kitten, letting him sniff her fingers and rub his head against them before scooping him up into her arms. "Thank you Kara. I've always wanted a familiar but we couldn't afford to get one for me. Did he tell you his name?"

"Think nothing of it Ginny. I would've bought him even if he hadn't attached himself to you. An elemental cat can not be left in the muggle world; it's too risky. He doesn't have a name, he said he would accept whatever name you gave him." She said lightly, reaching out to scratch gently between the kittens ears, making him purr.

The woman and girl quickly found Fred and explained the finding of the magical kitten. Drakkara had Ginny pick out a wicker basket to act as a carrier for her familiar and they proceeded to the counter at the front of the store to pay for the kitten and basket. The manager, who was working the register, stared at the red haired girl in shock when he saw the kitten they were buying. 

"My goodness! We've had that kitten in here for a week and no ones been able to touch him. I must've had two dozen people wanting to buy him, but they picked others or left without a pet because they couldn't pick him up without getting an electric shock." The man exclaimed.

Drakkara urged him to finish the sale, giving him her credit card and signing the sales slip hurriedly. When he'd closed the register and handed her the receipt the dark haired woman glanced around the store to make sure no one was looking and pulled her wand from its sheath. "I'm sorry sir. Obliviate." She whispered the spell quietly, erasing the mans memory of the kittens unusual abilities and the details about the woman and teenagers who'd bought the animal.

Before the man could shake off the disoriented feeling of the memory charm, Drakkara ushered the two teens out of the store and away from its windows. "Damn it, I was hoping they hadn't noticed your friends powers, but I guess it was too much to ask. Hopefully none of the muggles who wanted to buy him will think much about how strange he was and come back to ask about him. Ginny, put him in his basket dear, I don't want too many people to see him. Let's go get the others, I think it's time to go home."

* * * * * * * * * *

While Sirius and Drakkara were having adventures on their trips through the mall, Remus, Hermione, and George were quietly enjoying their leisurely excursion. George had realized early on that his two companions were rather laid back when it came to shopping, neither feeling the least inclined to rush around in order to see everything. 

The trio found a trendy clothing store on the second floor of the shopping center and decided it would do well for purchasing their new clothes. Hermione was quick to pick out some pretty dresses and a few pairs of jeans with coordinating blouses for herself. When she'd made her selections, she wandered over to the men's section to aid her male companions.

George was quite happily picking out some new shirts and jeans, but Remus was in a quandary and asked the girl for help. "Hermione, I don't think anything in here would suit me, do you? This store seems to cater mostly to teenagers, which I'm certainly not, do you think we should go somewhere else?"

"Honestly Remus, these clothes would look great on you! It doesn't matter that you're a bit older than most of the customers here, you're good looking and in great shape and clothes like this are made for men with your physique." The teen said, blushing madly as she complimented her handsome professor.

She turned away from the older man, who was giving her a vaguely shocked look and started pulling clothes off the rack in his size. She stuck with mostly muted and neutral colors, earthy greens and browns with a few shirts in black, white, and jewel tones. She chose jeans and slacks that would fit Remus snugly in order to show off his muscular legs and truly lovely rear end.

Turning back to the werewolf, who'd been following behind her, watching her choose his wardrobe, she handed the armload of items to him and pointed at the dressing room. "Go try these on Remus, and show them to me. I'm not sure of your sizes so we might need a size smaller or larger."

Remus obeyed the young woman, seeing the determined look in her hazel eyes. He modeled the clothes she'd chosen for him with a red face, not quite believing he was allowing himself to be ordered about by one of his former students. The last outfit he tried on for her was a moss green silk shirt with full sleeves and tight cuffs. It had a lace up vee neck, and hung a bit loosely from his well muscled, slender frame. 

Hermione had paired the shirt with a pair of tan suede pants that molded to him like a second skin. When he stepped cautiously out of the dressing room to show the outfit to the girl, she clapped her hands up to her face and he tried to move quickly back into the dressing room, thinking she found the outfit either horrible looking or extremely funny. He was stopped by her voice giving another order in a firm voice. "Remus Lupin you get back here!"

He stayed where he was; though he gave the dressing room a hopeful glance. Hermione had come over to him and was now walking in circles around him. She eyed the handsome man up and down with appreciative eyes. "Oh Merlin, I thought that would look good on you but Wow!" 

Remus had tucked the ends of the shirt into the pants and Hermione tugged on it a bit so that it loosened a little around his chest and back. She flicked her gaze over to the wall where the store had a rack with belts and ties, and some loafers and boots on the floor. With a command of "Stay" to her companion, she walked over to the accessories and gave them a critical look before choosing a dark brown leather belt with a golden wolfs head buckle and a pair of calf length boots in the same shade as the belt.

She had the man put the belt and boots on with the outfit and stood back to get the full effect. With his shoulder length tawny hair, lightly salted with silver gray, his deep amber colored eyes, and the outfit she'd chosen for him, Remus looked gorgeous. "Perfect! Absolutely perfect! You're wearing that out of the store. Grab the other clothes from the dressing room and come on, we've got more shopping to do."

Remus re entered the dressing room to gather Hermiones' selections for his new wardrobe. As he reached for the clothes hanging on the wall he noticed his reflection. The girl had been right, he decided after looking himself over. The loose shirt made him look a bit bulkier than he actually was, unnatural thinness being one of the many side effects of living the hard life of a werewolf. The silky material hanging from his shoulders and arms emphasized his lean muscles, and the tight suede pants showed off his muscular legs. 

When he joined the two teens at the check out counter and added his pile of clothing to the others along with the tags from the outfit he was wearing, he spoke softly to the girl, "Thanks for your help Hermione, I appreciate it." He handed over the credit card and authorization note to the sales girl and gave his young friend a heartfelt smile.

Loaded down with their bags of clothes, the trio strolled through the mall, looking for other shops of interest. They went into a few other stores, purchasing a few things, but mostly window-shopping. About half way through their allotted two hours, they found their own little pieces of muggle heaven. 

George had spotted the small joke shop and immediately dragged his companions over to it. They spent a good half an hour in the store, with Hermione explaining the entirely non magical sleight of hand 'magic' tricks in the store, and giving explanations of items such as a Groucho Marx mask of glasses, large nose, and mustache; and a clown ensemble with multi colored wig, spongy red nose, and fake lapel flower that squirted water. Both Remus and George were extremely interested in many of the items and couldn't leave without a bag full of joke items.

Their final stop was a store right next to the joke shop, which was a bookstore that Hermione had seen as they entered the other store. Only George had to be dragged into the bookstore, as Remus loved literature just as much as Hermione. The girl quickly found a large book entitled '1001 Jokes and Pranks For All Occasions' to occupy her red haired friend and left him with it while she and the werewolf browsed.

She had picked out a few mystery novels when she spotted Remus in the Science Fiction/Fantasy section. When she approached him and looked at the books he was holding, Remus explained that he'd always been fascinated by the muggle worlds many views on magic, how it was worked, and what one could do with it. 

It was a fascination they shared as it turned out, and the girl helped her former professor to select a few more books that she'd already read. They agreed to exchange books with each other over the coming year and give the subject a thorough study once the OWLS were over. Remus thought that they might collaborate on a research paper about muggle views on magic and submit it to the ministry for perusal and perhaps even publication.

When they eventually left the bookshop, each of them carried a large bag of reading material, which included the joke book for George. They were walking toward the hamburger restaurant everyone had agreed to meet at when the redhead nudged Hermione and quietly reminded her of the bet they'd made with Harry and Ron. The younger brunette thought quickly and looked around, hoping to see a jewelry store that had an ear piercing service. She spotted one just up ahead and made her suggestion.

"Hey Remus, you know what would really complete that outfit and go perfectly with your new wardrobe?" She said, trying to look completely innocent when the werewolf looked over at her with a raised eyebrow.

She pointed to the jewelry store they were fast approaching and said, "You should get your ear pierced! An earring would look great with the style of clothing we bought for you, and you have just the right coloration to carry off wearing gold jewelry, which is great since you can't go anywhere near silver."

The single dark eyebrow of the older man arched even higher as she spoke. "I was wondering when you were going to try to con me into that. Next time you think about making a bet to get me to do something, don't stand in my hearing range. Remember I have the heightened senses that come with my little 'problem'. So you want me to wear an earring huh?"

Both of the teens were looking horrified that their wager had been overheard and were blushing furiously in embarrassment. "Please Remus?" they begged nicely, giving the man their best pathetic expressions. "You know Harry and Ron will get Siri to do it, all they have to do is dare him. You wouldn't want to see your favorite student and prankster lose to those two would you?" George added, halting the trio in front of the jewelry store.

Remus let out a loud burst of laughter at their pleading expressions and strolled into the store. "Go ahead then, pick something out for me. I don't need the piercing though, I had my ear pierced years ago." When the teens gave him looks that were equal parts curiosity and amazement he added, "What, you think I wasn't a teenager once too? I decided I wanted an earring in sixth year and Lily and Kara got together and pierced my ear for me."

Hermione clapped her hands together in excitement and practically ran to the glass counter where the better jewelry was locked in a case. She passed over the silver earrings without a second look, knowing the metal was deadly to her werewolf friend. Looking over the gold earrings, she saw a few nice pieces but one particular pair caught her eye. 

A pair of small golden hoops rested in their black velvet box. Embedded in the gold were three small stones. She called the salesman over and pointed to the earrings, asking him to bring them out of the case. He did as she asked and then described their characteristics for her. "Wonderful choice young lady. These are solid 24-karat gold; each hoop embedded with a chip of sapphire, amethyst, and citrine. A truly lovely combination of colors if I do say so myself."

The brunette was nodding enthusiastically in agreement. She called Remus and George over to take a look. "What do you think Remus? When Paddys' ear heals he could wear the extra one. Those stones are the same color as yours, his, and Karas' eyes. If we got a pair for her too they could be like your version of the friendship jewelry that people give each other."

"I think it's a wonderful idea Hermione. You're right; those stones do match our eyes almost exactly. We'll go ahead and get two pairs as you suggested and hope that Harry and Ron got Paddy to pierce his ear." He took one earring out of the box before handing the credit card and authorization note to the waiting salesman. While the man rang up their purchase, Remus unclasped the earring and handed it to Hermione. "Will you put it in for me, I can't see to do it." He asked politely, leaning down so she could see the hole in his right ear.

She slid the stud piece into the hole and clasped it with no difficulty. "There you go, and I was right, it does complete your new attire. You look like a pirate or highwayman, all you need is the cloak." She smiled happily, knowing there were several cloaks back at Grimmauld Place that he could wear with the outfit while in the wizarding world. With yet another bag added to their load, the trio finally made it to the meeting spot, seeing the other six waiting for them.

* * * * * * * * * *

When the large group was reunited it was obvious that everyone had had fun. The amount of bags everyone was carrying was almost ridiculous. With the combination of Remus' outfit, Siri whining over his aching ear, and Ginny constantly peeking into the wicker basket to see her familiar, they decided it would be best to find an out of the way spot in the mall parking lot and apparate home immediately. Everyone was anxious to show off what they'd bought and tell their stories of the shopping spree.

They managed to find a quiet spot near the back of the parking lot and the group separated into threes again. The teens linked arms with the adults and once they checked to see that no one was around to see them, they all disappeared with slight popping noises.

Back at Grimmauld Place they found that Molly Weasley had returned from her own shopping trip, and had been joined in the house at some point by Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody, Minerva McGonagall, and Albus Dumbledore with his familiar Fawkes.

The Order members were conversing in the sitting room when the large group of adults and teenagers walked through the front door, having had to apparate outside the house due to the Fidelius charm it was under. They heard the group talking as they shut the door behind them and heard above the rest of the voices Drakkara giving an order to the teens.

"All right you lot. Before you start getting into those bags for your new toys I want you to separate out the clothes and go hang them in your wardrobes. You can leave the things you bought for the group and the things you want to show off down here for the moment. We'll go into the sitting room and look everything over after the clothes are put away." The raven-haired woman ordered, setting some of her own bags on the floor and heading upstairs with the rest.

The group already occupying the sitting room listened with blatant curiosity to the sounds of rustling bags and the conversations of the teens. "Man, I don't want to put away clothes, I want to look at all the other stuff we got!" This comment coming from Ron.

Hermiones' voice came through next. "Hurry up guys, I want to see what's in Ginnys' basket."

The last comment heard came from one of the twins as their voices faded up the stairs. "Humph, all that will wait. I want to know how you four got Remus and Sirius to pierce their ears!"

Unable to resist, Tonks got up and opened the sitting room door. "Great Merlin! I can't believe I missed this shopping trip. There must be two thousand pounds worth of stuff here! And that's not counting what they took upstairs. Who died and left one of them Gringotts?"

"My word! I knew Drakkara was taking them out for lunch and a bit of shopping, but all this? I know my kids didn't have enough muggle money to pay for any of it, I only gave them a couple pounds each to spend." Molly added as she joined the purple haired auror at the door.

Just then, Drakkara came back down the stairs. "Oh, you're back Molly, and we've got company. Did you get everything you needed in Diagon Alley?" She asked, smiling at the older woman.

The redhead gaped back at her. "What? Oh, yes I did thank you. Drakkara, where did all of this come from? Please don't tell me the children had you buy all these things for them?" She asked, sincerely hoping at her children hadn't conned the woman into buying them things their parents couldn't afford to give them.

Drakkara saw the potential for disaster written in the burgeoning embarrassment in the older womans eyes and sought to counter it. "Don't worry Molly, they didn't con me into anything. I'll be bluntly honest with you here. I absolutely detest the fact that Harry has been wearing his whale of a cousin's hand me downs and glasses that must be ten years old at least. He's never had anything of his own before, nothing that he chose for himself just because he wanted it."

"When I suggested the shopping trip I was mainly concerned with getting Harry some new clothes and glasses, and a few treats for himself. All the kids were so excited about the trip that I just went a bit wild. I couldn't take them all out and then make them watch as I treated Harry to whatever he wanted, so I gave them all the same treatment. I sent them off, two kids with one adult and a credit card with no spending limit." She paused in her explanation and went to stand close to the older woman.

Placing a hand on Mollys' shoulder she finished her story, "You've got a wonderful bunch of kids Molly, and I wanted them to have this for being such good friends to Harry and accepting Siri and Remy for who they are. They deserve this one treat, just for being who they are."

The redhead sighed and smiled slightly at the compliment given to her children, but was still worried. "But Drakkara dear, there's so much here! All of this must have cost a small fortune."

The raven-haired woman shook her head and smiled at Molly. "Considering that they had no spending limit, they actually held back quite a bit. And the money doesn't concern me. I was lucky enough to be born into one of the wealthiest wizarding families in the world, and I've made a fortune on my own merits over the last fourteen years. Please Molly, don't worry about this, and let the children keep their new things as what I told them this trip was. Fourteen years worth of birthday and Christmas presents I wasn't here to give them."

Seeing the sincerity and pleading in the violet eyes of the younger woman, Molly smiled and nodded her consent. "Thank you Drakkara. Your generosity is amazing and I've no doubt all of those children will remember this day for many years. Not to mention you've taken care of a lot of back to school shopping for me!"

The two women laughed merrily at the small joke and joined the others in the sitting room to wait for the men and teens to finish unpacking their new clothes. Luckily, there was plenty of space in the sitting room, though it did become crowded when Remus, Sirius and the children came back down and brought all the shopping bags into the room.

They had each changed into one of their new outfits and received many compliments from the others as they entered and sat down. They dug into their bags, producing various things for everyone to ooh and ah at. Ron and Harry received many thanks from the other teens as they produced several board games for them all to play when they were bored. Georges' joke book and bag of muggle tricks from the joke shop went over well, as did the books Hermione and Remus had bought.

Fred was able to show off his new robot and the CD's he'd chosen, while Ginny showed her CD's and the craft projects she'd picked up, leaving the kitten in his basket at her side for the moment, saving the best surprise for last. Drakkara explained the DVD movies she'd bought with the suggestion that her large screen television and DVD player, both charmed to run on magic rather than electricity, be brought down from the trunk in her room later and set up there in the sitting room so that they could watch the movies.

Each of the Weasley children, along with Harry and Hermione, had bought something to bring back for Molly and Arthur. All of the Weasley patriarchs' gifts were varied small trinkets that would fascinate the older man for ages, as they were muggle made. Molly received a new set of cooking utensils from George, and a new skirt and blouse from Fred that Drakkara had helped him pick out. She was given a pair of rose shaped gold earrings from Ron, and shoes to match her new outfit from Ginny. 

Even the two teens she had not given birth to had found thoughtful gifts for the older woman that showed how much they cared for her. Hermione had gotten a thick cookbook full of recipes for Molly to try. Last of all, Harry pulled out the gift he'd bought for his best friends' mother. The emerald-eyed teen had known he should get this item for Mrs. Weasley the moment he saw it.

His gift was a knitted sweater; reminiscent of the sweaters he'd received from the woman at Christmas since his first year at Hogwarts. The sweater was periwinkle blue, and instead of having her initial on the front, it had a depiction of the nursery rhyme about the little old woman who lived in a shoe. Harry had always been reminded of that rhyme whenever he saw The Burrow and the mother of its inhabitants.

The older woman thanked the children with hugs and kisses before placing her gifts in one of the now empty shopping bags to be taken upstairs. Finally, things calmed down enough that Drakkara felt it was time to reveal the biggest surprise of the day. "Ginny, why don't you bring your friend out of his basket to meet everyone?" She said to the young girl who was sitting on the floor near her feet.

Quite aware that everyone was looking at her, Ginny blushed as she opened the lid of the wicker basket and pulled out her kitten. She showed the little bundle of fur to the group with a bright smile on her face. "I'm going to call him Zephyr, what do you think Kara?"

The dark haired woman smiled and held out her hands, silently asking Ginny to pass the kitten to her while she explained to the others how special he was. "I think that's a wonderful name for him Ginny. It definitely suits an animal with abilities like this ones."

"Ginny found this little one in the pet shop we visited at the mall. She showed a great deal of intuition, realizing that he was no ordinary kitten, and brought me over to verify that he was indeed a magical creature." Drakkara began her explanation.

Waiting until she had everyones attention focused on her and the kitten she continued, "Little Zephyr here is what is known as an Elemental Cat. They're extremely rare animals, I've only seen one other in my life and she was very old. Elemental Cats, as their name suggests, are felines who are born with the ability to conjure and control a specific element. They're born of two normal felines, and first start to show their abilities when they open their eyes. The coloration of their fur and eyes are usually signs of which element they control."

She handed the small feline back to the girl and continued, "Zephyr is an air elemental. Right now he can produce small electric charges, miniature lightning bolts. As he gets bigger he'll be able to do more; his tiny body can't handle much at the moment. I've learned that no matter what type of feline they're born to, be it lion or house cat, they grow to approximately the size of an American bobcat. They're very intelligent animals, as are all cats, and they can live far longer than any non-magical feline. This particular cat took to Ginny immediately and specifically asked that he be allowed to stay with her. He'll be a wonderful familiar for her, and protect her from any harm."

Everyone handled the information that the youngest of their group now had one of the rarest species of magical creatures as her familiar well, smiling with happiness for the girl. "There are not many people in this world who can say they've seen an Elemental Cat. I was fortunate enough to see one many, many years ago, a fully-grown female with control over the earth element. You are a very lucky young lady Miss Weasley, to have one of these creatures as your friend." Albus commented from his seat in a wing back chair, smiling at the redhead.

Ginny went around the room, introducing Zephyr to her family and friends so that he would feel comfortable around them. When the group had settled down once again and the teens had started eyeing their games and other things Remus decided it was time for them to go upstairs. "Hey kids, I think I remember something being mentioned this morning about you guys putting in a couple hours on your summer assignments when we got home from shopping. What say you take this stuff upstairs and get to work."

There was a great amount of booing from the four male teens but they obligingly began to gather their new things to take upstairs with them. Hermione stated that she'd already finished her assignments and asked if she could remain downstairs with the adults. After a questioning glance as Albus to ask if they were going to be discussing anything she couldn't hear and receiving his permission, they allowed the girl to stay.

As it turned out, Ginny only had to finish writing the conclusion to her Potions essay and asked if she could join them after she'd finished, to which they agreed again. The red haired girl scooped up her things and put them in the wicker basket and left, cradling Zephyr on her shoulder and carrying the basket in the other hand. Once all the teens except Hermione had left, all eyes turned to Albus to find out what he had spent the afternoon in Grimmauld Place waiting to discuss with them.


	8. Chapter 7

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents Author: Sinayah ****

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 7

"Now what are you all looking at me for? Is there something in my beard?" The wizened old wizard asked candidly, seeing the eyes of his colleagues trained on him.

Collectively, several eyebrows raised as if questioning whether the oldest member of their group had finally given in to senility. "Don't give us that load of dragon dung Old Man. None of us lives under the delusion that you have enough free time to spend an afternoon sipping tea and watching a group of teenagers show off new toys. What's happened that you need to tell us, or what do you need us to do?" Drakkara questioned.

Albus rolled his eyes dramatically and made a show of relaxing back into his chair and taking another sip of tea. "Nonsense Drakkara. I came by for a few reasons, none of them dire emergencies. Minerva and I needed to find out what textbooks you and Remus plan on using for your classes so that we can include the appropriate titles in the student book lists. I also wondered if I could have a look at the treasures I know you must have picked up in your travels. I believe both Minerva and Alastor share that desire."

"You are the strangest man Albus. Making time to look through my things indeed. As it happens I _have _collected quite a treasury of unusual items in my travels that I'll be happy to show you and anyone else who wants to have a look. There are also presents stowed away that I've saved over the years for the time when I returned to give them to many of my old friends. Just let me go upstairs and retrieve my trunk." The dark haired woman replied before standing and leaving the room.

She returned a few minutes later, having checked on the teens before bringing the trunk back downstairs. Drakkara floated the large trunk back into the sitting room and set it down on the floor. She laid her hand on the seventh stone and commanded the trunk to open that chamber. "I'll give you a tour through the last few chambers, that's where you'll find most of the interesting things." She gestured for her friends to enter the trunk and followed shortly after.

* * * * * * * * * *

Inside, they found themselves standing in a library of a size to rival the one at Hogwarts. "We'll pick out the textbooks first. If anyone wants to look around, feel free; just don't touch any of the volumes on the shelves marked 'restricted'. The books on those shelves are protected by very powerful curses and can only be removed from their shelves by my hand. Anything on the normal shelves you can safely browse through."

The group split up to explore the huge library. Drakkara led Remus to the shelves containing books that might prove effective as classroom texts for DADA. Kingsley and Tonks followed them, as DADA was a large part of their careers. Moody went straight for the restricted shelves to see just what sort of books the younger woman would be placing curses on. 

Albus went for a shelf labeled Rare Books, while Minerva quickly found the section for transfiguration. Hermione, obviously thinking about the challenge Drakkara had lain before her, went for the shelf marked Ancient Languages. Sirius and Molly just wandered through the many shelves, looking at the huge variety of books on every subject they could think of.

Rather too soon for everyone else's liking, Remus and Drakkara had picked out five different books they wanted to use for their classes and called everyone back. When they appeared from between the many shelves, each carried at least two books. All except Moody that is, but he was giving Drakkara a hopeful expression in between glances back toward the restricted shelves.

When asked, the raven-haired woman agreed to lend her friends and colleagues the books they wanted to read, explaining that she had a card index that would track the books wherever they went and admonishing them to be nice to her books under penalty of a good hexing. She turned to Moody last and asked, "Alright Alastor, I know you're dying to say something about my restricted books, and you probably want to get your hands on some of them. Which ones do you want?"

"Little Girl, do you realize you probably have the most complete collection of Dark Arts and Black Arts books in the world sitting here in your trunk where anyone could get at them? The Dark Lord would proclaim himself a muggle loving Gryffindor if it would get him access to those books." The ex-auror ranted, pointing violently at the shelves. To the mind of the paranoid man, having such a collection of books in an unprotected environment was a severe breach of security.

Drakkara lifted her hand to hush her older friend and explained, "Quit ranting at me Alastor. What I actually have on those shelves are a vast array of trashy muggle romance novels cleverly disguised as my actual collection of Dark and Black Arts books. I warded those books heavily so that if anyone tried to steal them, they wouldn't be suspicious that the books weren't protected. The actual books on Dark Arts are in a very secure place and will only switch themselves with the fakes when I personally take them off the shelf. Now which ones did you want to read?"

Moody took his young colleague back into the stacks of restricted books and pointed to the ones he wanted. She took them off the shelves for him and handed the genuine books over, threatening him with dire consequences if anything happened to the valuable texts.

When they returned to the group, Drakkara led them to the wall next to the ladder that would take them back out of the trunk. There were nine stones in a row set into the wall and the woman explained at these stones could be used to travel between the chambers without leaving the trunk. She laid her hand on one of the stones and a door appeared in its place. Opening it, she led the others through.

* * * * * * * * * *

The group soon discovered that they'd stepped into a treasure trove. The large chamber resembled something between a muggle museum and Aladdin's cave. There were shelves, tables, and glass cases scattered throughout the chamber holding untold amounts of treasures. "Anything that shouldn't be touched is in the glass cases. There are descriptive cards next to each item if you want to know what something is. I beg you to please be careful with everything in here, this is a lifetimes worth of collecting and most of it is extremely valuable." Drakkara cautioned as her friends set out to explore.

The violet-eyed woman motioned for Sirius, Remus, Albus, and Moody to follow her. She led them to a large cabinet in one corner of the room and opened it. "I thought since we were here, you might like to see how much of the cold drake hide is left. It's in here along with some other interesting fabrics and things."

The hide of the large snake-like beast she'd killed was folded and laid on the bottom of the cabinet. Needless to say, the skin was huge. The cabinet was very big and had a lot of space, but the folded hide must have stood as least four feet in height and it covered the entire bottom of the cabinet. Albus leaned down and touched the hide, marveling at the sheer size of it and imagining the size of the beast it came from. "I thought you were exaggerating when you said this creature was almost as big as a basilisk. I can't imagine what you went through in battling this thing." He said in quiet amazement.

"It was one of the most difficult battles I've ever fought, but I'm glad I did it. This one hide will make enough protective clothing to keep our friends safe from just about anything. The only trouble we may have is finding enough people to make the clothing from it. As I said last night, I have a few shirts already made, but once school starts I'll be too busy to make many more." As she spoke, Drakkara leaned up on her toes to reach into the top shelf of the cabinet and withdrew a small suitcase.

She placed the suitcase on the floor and opened it, revealing a half a dozen shirts made from the silvery hide. She removed three of the shirts and held out one each to Remus, Sirius, and Alastor. " These should be large enough to fit you three. I think the other three should go to Arthur, Bill, and Charlie. I wish I could give one to Severus as he has the most dangerous job, but there would be no way for him to hide a piece of clothing that repelled curses from Voldemort. I do however have something that should help in his spywork."

"Ah, let the nasty git get cursed Kara. I'm sure whatever it is you think might help is far too valuable to give to that greasy bastard." Sirius stated, sneering with displeasure.

Before Albus could say something to the younger man, Drakkara shut the suitcase and stood to face her friend. "Sirius, you sound like your mother. We're not children anymore, this hatred you have for Severus needs to stop. If you remember, he did some truly despicable things to me while we were students, far worse than whatever he may have done in retaliation for your pranks. If I can put aside my dislike for him, so can you. I don't expect you to like him, but he does deserve some respect for the work he does for the Order."

Sirius hung his head, ashamed to admit that what she said was the truth. It had been the actions of Severus Snape that brought about Drakkaras' true integration into the Marauders group, rather than just being a friend of Lilys'. "You're right Kara. Snape is a nasty bastard and I highly doubt I'll ever stop hating him, but I won't antagonize him anymore. I make no promises where his treatment of Harry, Remus, and you are concerned though."

The raven-haired woman nodded her consent and replied, "That's all I can ask. Now, let's go wander around with the others. I need to get into another cabinet back here for some things and I'll meet you in a few minutes."

The men wandered off and Drakkara picked up the suitcase containing the remaining shirts and walked off toward another cabinet. Inside the locked and warded cabinet, she found the items she'd bought over the years to be given to her friends upon her eventual return. Many of the objects were just knick knacks without any real value except in sentiment, but among them were treasures that would be of great value or use to the ones she gifted them to. 

There were large trunks labeled 'Harry', 'Sirius', 'Remus', and 'Albus' that she shrunk and put in her pockets. Three boxes bearing the names Alastor, Minerva, and Bill were also shrunken and placed with the trunks. She placed a jewelers box marked 'Severus' in the suitcase last and then locked and re-warded the cabinet.

Leaving the others to continue looking through her treasures, Drakkara left the trunk to take the trunks and boxes up to her room. She wanted to give her friends the gifts privately and planned to invite the individual recipients up to her room later. When she stepped out of her trunk she was startled to find Ginny sitting on the couch. "Oh, Ginny I'm sorry. I forgot you were going to join us when you finished your essay." The older woman said.

"No problem Kara, I just came down a few minutes ago. I figured you guys would be in the trunk when I saw it open but I didn't want to go in without your permission." Ginny replied, smiling at Drakkara.

The dark haired woman returned the smile as she replied, "Good thinking, we weren't in that chamber anymore anyway. I need to put something upstairs, why don't you go on into that chamber and look around, I'll join you and take you through to the chamber the others are in when I get back."

When the girl nodded and climbed down into the library chamber, Drakkara hurried up the stairs to her bedroom and put the shrunken trunks and boxes on the bed. She left the room quickly; not too fond of the notion that her friends and colleagues were wandering unsupervised through her collection of treasures. As she descended the stairs into the entrance hall and turned the corner, the slender woman found herself smacking face first into a black robe clad chest.

"OOF!" Both Drakkara and the person she'd run into grunted from the impact and struggled to regain their balance. When she was steady on her feet again, the woman started making apologies. "Sorry I ran into you, I didn't see you there."

She heard a long suffering sigh and looked up into deep onyx eyes as Severus Snape replied, "I see you're still scampering about without looking as if you were one of those bloody Gryffindors you love so much."

The woman rolled her brilliantly colored eyes and replied, "Oh shut up Severus, you can antagonize me later. My little brush with clumsiness has reminded me that Tonks is wandering around in my trunk among my most valuable artifacts, probably without one of the others watching her. If you're looking for Albus he's in there too so you might as well follow me."

"And just what, might I ask, are Tonks and the Headmaster doing in your luggage?" The dour man replied as he followed Drakkara into the sitting room.

Drakkara couldn't help rolling her eyes again, any more than Severus could help being sarcastic. "Tonks is probably doing her best to accidentally destroy my things, and Albus is no doubt walking around thinking that all his Christmases have come at once. Climb on in Severus, I'm conducting a tour of my belongings as per Albus' request."

The tall, thin potions master climbed gracefully into the trunk and down the ladder. As he turned to look at the room he'd landed in he saw the youngest Weasley examining a book from one of the many shelves. When Drakkara joined him a moment later, she couldn't help chuckling at his open mouthed gaping. "Like my library Severus? I'll let you look around before we leave. Right now we should join the others before they start wondering where I've gone."

Severus barely managed to control his excitement at the prospect of being allowed to look at Drakkaras' library. From their school days, he knew the woman loved the art of potion making almost as much as he did and would doubtless have a vast collection of books on the subject. He made the decision to refrain from being overly nasty to the woman until after he'd made a thorough examination of her books.

Drakkara called Ginny over and opened the door into her treasure chamber again, allowing the teen and Severus to precede her. As she shut the door behind her, they heard a crash from the other side of the chamber. "Oh good Merlin I hope that wasn't the Chinese dragons." She sent the plea toward the sky.

Severus and Ginny followed her as she strode quickly toward the spot where the noise came from, gaping at the beautiful and priceless objects they passed along the way. Severus swore he caught a glimpse of a rare Amazonian Heart Diamond in one display case and a set of runic warding stones in another. The trio found their friends gathered around a broken glass display case.

"What happened here? Where's the necklace that was in that case?" Drakkara demanded, having realized what that particular case had contained. An invaluable piece of jewelry, it was said to bestow the protection of a magical guardian. The guardian would appear at need to smite down anything that sought to harm its wearer. The raven-haired woman had found the necklace in the ruins of a castle in Denmark, and after researching the beautiful amulet and learning of its power, had sought to hide it away and keep it from the hands of those who would misuse its power.

Hermione came forward and showed the older woman that the necklace was now around her neck. "I don't know what happened Kara. I was walking past the case and the necklace just leapt up and flew through the glass. It clasped itself around my neck and now it won't come off. I swear I didn't do anything to make it do it!" 

Drakkara could see that the girl was clearly upset, probably thinking that the older woman wouldn't believe her story and would think she'd broken the case to take the necklace for her own. The tall woman crouched down and took Hermiones' chin in her hand, raising the girls' head so she could look at her. "It's alright Hermione, I believe you. It seems the guardian has chosen a new innocent to protect." Drakkara drew the young woman into her arms and gave her a hug of reassurance. "Don't worry over it dear, that necklace is a powerful form of protection for its wearer, it's nothing bad I assure you."

While Drakkara was busy talking to Hermione, Remus drew his wand and repaired the glass case. When the woman stood and looped an arm around the brunette girls' shoulders she said, "Alright, I think we've had about enough in this room. Let's move on to the last chamber. Anyone who wants to come back here later is welcome, but the children will be wanting dinner soon so we don't have much time to wander about."

Before she could lead them off Albus interjected, "Drakkara, before we leave I was wondering if you would allow Molly and Minerva to have a look at that cold drake hide. Both of them are excellent seamstresses and may be able to aid you in making the protective clothing we need."

The violet-eyed woman nodded and led the group back to the material cabinet. She opened it up and pulled out some of the hide. She'd cut it up into manageable pieces before storing it away and now handed one of the large pieces to Molly for the two women to examine. "It's already been treated and just needs to be cut to pattern in the measurements we need and sewn. It's not the easiest material in the world to work with, but the protection it offers is well worth the effort." She explained as they looked closely at the hide and felt it for texture.

"I think I can work with this, what about you Minerva?" Molly said as she turned to the deputy headmistress.

Minerva nodded as she replied, "Yes, it shouldn't be too difficult. Albus, I suggest you also ask Poppy to help with making the clothes. Between myself, Molly, Drakkara, and Poppy we could probably outfit the Order by Halloween."

Once Albus agreed to ask the school mediwitch for her help Drakkara pulled out three more pieces of the hide while the other women refolded the first piece. Minerva, Molly, and Poppy would each start with a single piece of the hide and Drakkara would supply more as needed. Carrying their bundles, the three women led the way to the spot where they'd come in and found another row of keystones.

Holding her piece of silvery hide in one arm, Drakkara used her free hand to open the door to the last chamber she wanted her friends to see, snickering internally and wishing she had a camera handy for when Severus saw her potions lab. The chamber she led her friends into was even larger than the previous two. It held several rooms and she led them through each one as a group.

Closest to the door where they'd come in was what she called her hobby room. It was equipped for doing many types of craft projects and she laid her piece of hide on a table set with a sewing machine and supplies. The women, being more craft inclined than the men, complimented Drakkara on the wonderful room.

Next down the hall was her study, a smaller version of the office she had in another chamber. She'd designed this room specifically to aid her in translating the many scrolls and books she had from their original language to English. At the moment, there were several ancient looking texts written in Latin and Spanish sitting on the desk next to the computer.

They exited the study with Albus asking Drakkara if he could possibly borrow some of the translated texts he'd seen. The last room on that side of the hall was a greenhouse that would make her former Herbology professor proud, if not a little jealous. They wandered around among the plants for a few minutes, until Drakkara had to smack Severus' hands away from one of her rarer plants whose leaves were used in several types of complex potions.

If Drakkaras' library had made the nasty tempered potions master decide to be civil to her, her greenhouse made him reluctantly decide to extend the civility to Black and Lupin. But the last room she led the group into made the dour, sarcastic man decide to do whatever it took to get back in the womans good graces.

Severus had stepped into a potion master's dream come true. A well ventilated, well lighted potions laboratory, completely equipped with everything one would need to create any potion known to wizarding kind. He closely examined the work benches, cauldrons, and equipment in the room. In one corner a large cauldron held a bubbling potion in the making. He tried to determine what it was by its appearance and smell, but found himself stumped. 

As he mentally ran through every potion he knew, Drakkara stepped up to check the mixture. She took a stirring rod from its place on the workbench and gave it a few stirs. "Coming along nicely. Tell me Severus, can you make a guess as to what this is?"

The greasy haired man sighed in defeat; "I haven't a clue. I would hazard a guess that it is mostly mineral in content which I can't fathom a purpose for, with a few plant and animal ingredients but it is nothing I've ever come across. Something of your own invention perhaps?"

"Excellent deduction on both counts. It's my own version of the Wolfsbane potion. I've tested it over the last year on two lycanthropes that I felt I could trust to keep it a secret until I'd fully tested its effects and proven its worth over a defined period. I plan to release the recipe to the public in the coming months. It makes the lycanthropic transformation almost painless and allows the werewolf to retain his or her human mind." Drakkara explained, proud of her discovery.

Severus gaped at his former classmate, the only challenge he'd had for the top spot in potions during their school career. He'd been extremely pleased that she'd chosen DADA as her course of mastery rather than potions, as it provided him with less competition for the top marks. "Learn from a master and then go them one better. The master I apprenticed with invented the Wolfsbane potion, I've been trying to create a potion with these properties for the last six years."

Everyone was gazing with awe at the two potion makers. Remus was fighting to refrain from jumping with joy and crying with relief when he heard his former fiancée speak about the properties of her potion. The others sent happy smiles toward their werewolf friend, pleased that with the aid of this potion his transformations wouldn't put so much strain on his body. 

Severus was looking at Drakkara with respect as he said, "You have my congratulations, from one maker of potions to another. What do you call it?"

Violet eyes turned to gaze with love at Remus as she replied, "I named it Lupins Hope. I doubt a complete cure for lycanthropy will be found in our lifetime. If I'd found a cure I would've called it Lupins Dream, but Hope is all I could accomplish."

Tears filled the werewolf's eyes as he stepped around the workbench and embraced the raven-haired woman. "I can live with hope Love. It's more than I ever thought I'd have in this lifetime. You never cease to amaze me Kara, I doubt you ever will." Remus said quietly, releasing Drakkara and holding her at arms length. He took her ethereally lovely face between his large hands and lowered his lips to meet hers in a gentle kiss. "Thank you." He whispered against her mouth.

She caressed her former lovers' face gently and kissed him again, "You're very much welcome Remy, I'm so happy I was able to do this for you." She whispered as her arms looped around his waist for another hug.

The others turned away in order to give the pair a few moments of privacy and continued looking around the lab. It was Hermione who first found the ingredients storeroom and the girl let out a squeal of delight which brought the others over to investigate, Severus' long legs bringing him into the room first.

Onyx eyes skimmed over the rows and rows of potions ingredients, the vials and jars holding every ingredient he'd ever heard of from the common to the extremely rare and difficult to acquire. Hanging from the ceiling were several plants, drying in preparation for use. Long fingers reached out to caress a large bottle marked 'Unicorn Blood Willingly Given'. The silver fluid was one of the rarest of all potion ingredients, since it was almost unheard of for a unicorn to willingly donate its blood.

It was obvious to the group that their potions master was currently in a state of bliss. The man turned his dark eyes on Drakkara with a pleading expression on his normally hard features. Ignoring the fact that he was about to plead for use of this room in front of his colleagues and, even worse, two of his Gryffindor students, he said, "Would you allow me the use of this room and some of these ingredients Drakkara?"

Surprised that he'd gotten up the gumption to ask her, she responded, "Of course. Just be frugal with the rarer ingredients. As you can imagine, I had to harvest most of them myself and they weren't easy to come by. You'd probably also like to read through my collection of potion books in the library. Why don't we all head back there and get out of the trunk."

Back in the library, everyone except Severus and Drakkara climbed up the ladder and out of the trunk. The woman led the way to the bookcase that held her large assortment of potions texts. As the dark haired man examined the books he asked, "I realize its asking a lot from you to allow me the use of your lab, ingredients, and books, and I thank you. Since you're planning on releasing the recipe for Lupins Hope to the public, I was wondering if you might answer a question for me regarding it?"

Drakkara nodded, anticipating the question. "You're wondering at the large mineral content I assume?"

"Yes, I've never seen a potion that relies heavily on minerals. The ones you used didn't seem to be of a metallic nature as it would've shown in the color, and I've never heard of non metallic stones used in potions." The man replied.

Telling Severus to stay behind, Drakkara moved off into the stacks. She returned a few minutes later with a thick volume entitled 'Magic of the Earth, the Power of Stone'. "I found this book while I was living in the muggle world. Wizards have known that some stones had magical properties for centuries. We enchant stones to make charms, imbue them with spells, and use hollowed out crystals to hold more volatile potions and ingredients."

"When I found this book, I too had never heard or thought of using non metallic stones in potions. But as I read through it and saw the properties of the different stones, I considered the possibilities. I watched a muggle who called himself a witch doctor use several stones set in a necklace to alleviate the pain of a woman with cancer, and it seemed to work. I began experimenting with crushed stones in existing potions and saw improvement. Lupins Hope is the first potion I experimented with from scratch using stones with properties to speed healing, provide inner balance, and aid transformation." She explained, handing the book to her colleague.

Severus took the text and pages through it, skimming over descriptions of different stones and gems and their powers. "If the results of Lupins Hope are as powerful as you say, then this is a true discovery for wizarding kind. If you don't mind I'd like to borrow this book and examine it. Do you have a selection of stones in your storeroom?"

The woman nodded, and the pair headed toward the ladder. "Yes, I have many of the stones listed in that book. When you're ready to make your own experiments with them let me know. I'll provide you access to my experiment notes and a list of the potions I've already experimented with and seen improvement in for the adding of crushed stone. I'm not a potions master Severus, that was your love, not mine. Lupins Hope is the only potion I had the desire to create. I look forward to seeing what a true master of potions can do with this information."

"You may not be a master, but you could have been. Lupins Hope and the discovery of stones as potion ingredients proves your worth in the field. I believe your potion and insights could earn you honorary membership to the Potion Masters Guild if you desired it." Severus replied, truly impressed with the womans accomplishments and unable to hide it behind his normal sarcastic mask.

They'd reached the ladder by the time Severus finished speaking. "Don't you have to be nominated for honorary membership? From what I've heard the Potion Masters Guild is as difficult to get into as the Defense Masters Guild, not that there are many Defense Masters left in Britain." She heard voices coming from above and continued, "We should talk more about potions and using stones at a later time, perhaps after the school year commences."

The greasy haired man nodded, wanting to say more but not daring to as yet. He preceded Drakkara up the ladder and out of the trunk, then watched silently as she was drawn into a conversation with Minerva and Molly. He drifted over to continue his watching from the shadows, until the face of Sirius Black blocked his field of vision. "You listen to me Snape. Kara made me promise I'd stop antagonizing you, much to my disappointment. I see the way you're watching her and I'm warning you to stop it now. You had her once and screwed it up royally. She and Remus belong together, and I won't allow you to try to come between them. She may have softened toward you over the years and be willing to be friendly with you again, but you'll never have her back, so don't even try."

"If you think I don't realize that Black, then you're stupider than I thought you were. Now get out of my way, I came here to speak with the Headmaster and he seems to be free now." Severus pushed past his life long antagonist and crossed the room to engage Albus in conversation.


	9. Chapter 8

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents Author: Sinayah ****

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG 13 for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 8

The evening passed quietly among the group at Grimmauld Place. Soon after finishing their tour Kingsley and Tonks left for their own homes, and after Severus finished his talk with Albus, the headmaster, deputy headmistress, and potions master prepared to depart. Before they could apparate away, Drakkara asked each of them to come up to her room to receive the gifts she had for them.

Albus went up first, and Drakkara handed him his shrunken trunk. "I think you'll enjoy your gifts Albus. There are quite a few additions for your library, as well as some other items I thought you might find useful."

"Thank you my dear, I'm sure I will enjoy your gifts immensely." The old man placed his gifts in a pocket of his robes and hugged the younger woman tightly. When he left the room Drakkara asked him to send Minerva up for her box of presents which he did happily.

The raven-haired womans gifts for her former transfiguration professor, though of lesser monetary value than the books and trinkets she'd bought for Albus, were none the less special and distinctly suited for the Head of Gryffindor. Minerva received several books on transfiguration and animagi that Drakkara had translated from their original languages, as well as a lovely piece of sculpture showing the transformation of a young woman into a large cat.

Severus was the last to visit Drakkara in her room, not believing that she would have thought enough of him to procure a gift for him on her travels. But when she turned back from her bed to face him, the onyx-eyed man saw that she did indeed have something for him. "This ties in with the magic of stones that we were talking about earlier Severus. I designed this amulet using black coral, cats eye, and black jade imbued with several spells to enhance their natural powers. This is a powerful protective amulet Severus, and its main purpose is to absorb negative energy. Specifically, it absorbs the effects of the Cruciatus curse. If you can fake being subjected to that spell well enough to fool the Dark Lord, then you need never feel the pain of it again."

The tall man took the jewelers box and opened it to reveal the amulet. It was a golden, circular disk with several stones set around the edge and the runic symbols for protection, strength, and willpower engraved into the center. He looked up from the amulet with gratitude in his eyes. "Once again, I thank you Drakkara. This is a truly wonderful gift for someone in my position. Considering our past, I don't know what drove you to create this for me, but I thank you for your thoughtfulness."

"You're welcome Severus. Our past is just that, past. Though the things that happened will never be forgotten, they can be forgiven. Wear the amulet with my sincere wishes for your safety." She replied, somewhat formally.

They descended the stairs together in silence and separated in the entrance hall. When the headmaster, deputy headmistress, and potions master had departed, she returned to the sitting room and passed the rest of the evening with her friends and family. They ate their dinner together in the kitchen and the adults watched over the children as they played one of their new board games before bed. 

* * * * * * * * * *

A few hours after being tucked into bed with a hug and kiss from his godmother, Harry drifted from a deep, peaceful sleep into a dream filled with pain. 

__

Harry found himself in a large chamber, sitting on a throne with a large serpent coiled about his feet. Several men in black robes and expressionless white skull-like masks formed a half circle around the throne, each coming to kiss the hem of his robes before taking their place in the circle.

"My loyal Death Eaters, tell me of your progress in retrieving my prophecy from the Ministry of Magic. Lucius, what have you to report?" Came a hissing voice from Harrys' mouth. The teen realized he must be having a vision through the eyes of the Dark Lord and paid close attention to what was said.

The Death Eaters came forward, one at a time, to give their reports to the evil being who was their Lord. It quickly became obvious that Voldemort was not pleased with their lack of progress in getting what he wanted, as he was very liberal with his use of the Cruciatus curse. Harry felt the searing pain of the Unforgivable curse throughout his body and dearly wished he could wake up, but the vision had him trapped.

Forced to endure several bouts of the Cruciatus, Harry was barely aware of what was going on around him when the Dark Lord called forth Severus Snape. "Snape! What have you to report to me on the situation at Hogwarts and the activities of that muggle loving fool Dumbledore? I warn you Snape, you had better have something of use to me this time or you will suffer the consequences of my displeasure." Voldemort hissed.

"My Lord, I do indeed have information for you, important information that threatens your rise to power. My Lord, Drakkara Vanimaer has returned to Hogwarts." The potions master said as he stepped forward from his place in the circle.

Harry felt his, or rather Voldemorts mouth drop open and his serpentine eyes widen in shock at the younger mans words. "Severus Snape, you had better be able to provide proof of your claims. Lucius has informed me that the bitch Vanimaer is dead, and has been since the night I went to kill the Potters."

Snape seemed to cower in the face of the Dark Lords anger, but his voice was steady as he elaborated. "I have seen her My Lord. Dumbledore has apparently had her in hiding since that night. She returned yesterday, and the old fool appointed her to the DADA post for the coming school year. I believe he was as shocked at her return as I was, but they seem to be on good terms."

The red eyes of the Dark Lord narrowed, and Harry felt the evil man concentrate on something for a few moments before abruptly calling, "Malfoy! What say you to Severus' claim, which I know to be true? You informed me of her death, and I made my plans under the belief that one of my most powerful opponents was no longer a threat. CRUCIO!"

As Harry felt the pain curse rage through him again he felt a pulling sensation and knew he was waking up. Thankful for the relief, he allowed the sensation to carry him into wakefulness.

The messy haired teen woke abruptly and immediately tried to sit up in bed. His spell-abused body vehemently protested the movement, causing him to cry out. In the bed next to Harry, Ron grunted and rolled over, the cry of pain from his best friend not being enough to wake him. Knowing that it would take more effort to wake his red haired friend than it would to force his pain filled body out of bed and up the stairs, Harry slowly got up on his own.

He clutched at the walls for balance as he painfully ascended the stairs to the third floor and stumbled down the hall to his godmothers' bedroom. Harry knew he needed to tell one of the adults about his vision, and he hoped Kara would have something in her trunk to ease the pain he was feeling. Reaching her closed door, he rapped on it a few times and waited for her to answer.

Drakkara had just climbed into bed when she heard someone knocking on her door. She got out of bed and opened the door with a curious expression that changed to shock as she saw her godson leaning against the wall, obviously in pain. "Harry-love, what happened? What's wrong with you?" She cried softly, putting her arm around the teen and leading him to her bed.

"Vision…I had a vision of Voldemort. He cast the Cruciatus on some of the Death Eaters and I felt it. Snape told him that you were back and he did something in his head. After he yelled at Lucius Malfoy and hit him with the Cruciatus, that's when I woke up." Harry explained as the older woman helped him into her bed and covered him with the blankets.

She sat down at the boys' side and performed a cursory examination of him. She looked into his eyes and found his pupils contracted to mere pinpricks of black amidst the bright green. Taking his hand and placing her fingers over the pulse point in his wrist she felt his blood racing through his veins harder and faster than was normal. Small tremors were coursing through his slight body.

These symptoms were the trademark after-effects of being put under the Unforgivable pain curse. Drakkara smoothed back the boys sweat soaked hair and kissed his forehead gently. "I'm sorry Sweetling, no one should have to see what you did or experience that pain. I'll go get something to make you feel better."

Leaving the boy in her bed, Drakkara swiftly opened and entered the tenth chamber of her trunk, heading for the potions lab. One of her experimental potions was an improved Anti-Cruciatus. She'd only tested the potion on animals, unwilling to subject a human to the curse, but she knew it would help her godson. Even if the added amethyst and peridot powder did nothing to improve the effects of the potion, it would do no harm to the boy.

She grabbed a medium sized vial of the yellow green potion with purple flecks and rushed back up the ladder into her bedroom. She found her godson curled up on his side, silent tears of pain coursing down his cheeks. The raven-haired woman knelt down beside the bed to look into the brilliant green eyes of the teen. "Harry-love, it's alright. Let's get you back onto your back and I'll give you this potion to ease the pain."

Drakkara helped the boy ease onto his back and propped him up with pillows. She uncorked the vial of potion and tipped it slowly into the boys' open mouth. She watched attentively as the potion took effect almost immediately and was pleased to see Harrys' pupils dilate to normal size and feel his pulse slow under her fingertips. She gave the potion a few minutes to work before asking, "How do you feel now Sweetling? Are you still in pain?"

Harry cautiously tensed his muscles and was pleased to feel only a residual soreness, as if he'd run for a long distance. "Lot's better Ama. Whatever that stuff was worked really good. Didn't taste half bad either, just kinda like rock and plants."

"Very good. Harry-love, I want you to stay in here with me tonight in case you have another vision. I need to go downstairs and use the fireplace really quick, would you like me to go get Siri to stay with you while I'm gone?" She asked, stroking the teen's messy hair.

The raven-haired teen nodded in reply and Drakkara hurried out of the room to fetch his godfather. She found both Sirius and Remus in the animagus' bedroom, sitting in a pair of wingback chairs chatting. She quickly explained what had happened and both men followed her back to her room. "Hey kiddo, Kara take care of you alright? Do you need anything else?" Sirius asked as he sat on the bed next to Harry.

Drakkara left her godson with the two Marauders and made a quick firecall to Albus, finding the headmaster awake, waiting for Severus to return from the meeting. She told the old wizard of Harrys' vision and informed him that the boy had suffered the Cruciatus along with the Death Eaters. The headmaster asked if he should send Poppy Pomphrey over to look at the teen and was relieved when the younger woman declined, saying she'd already taken care of her godson.

After pulling her head out of the fire on the conclusion of her call, she hurried back upstairs to check on Harry. Entering her room, a smile graced her features when she saw the boy cuddled into his godfathers' chest. Sirius had gotten into bed with the boy and was now telling him some story from the Marauders school days. Remus was sitting on the edge of the bed, listening to the story. 

She waited until her friend had finished his tale before announcing her presence. "Well, you guys look cozy. I hate to break up the party but we need to get some sleep." The two men said their goodnights to the woman and boy before heading off to their own rooms. Drakkara slipped her robe off, revealing a peach silk sleep set and climbed into bed beside Harry. 

The boy turned over to face his godmother and cuddled into her welcoming arms, laying his head on her shoulder. He closed his eyes and asked quietly, "Will you sing for me Ama? Maybe it'll keep the nightmares away."

"Of course I will Love. Hush now, and don't worry over bad dreams." She replied. Drakkara adjusted the blankets over them both and used some wandless magic to turn out the lights. When only the moonlight coming through the window bathed the room, the raven-haired woman closed her eyes and began to sing Harrys' lullaby in her native language. 

She kept singing until she felt her godson relax completely into her and his breathing evened out, one song flowing seamlessly into the next. When she was sure Harry was deeply asleep, Drakkara let her voice fade out in a whisper. Turning slightly, she cuddled the sleeping boy closer to her body and let herself ease into sleep.

* * * * * * * * * *

"Mum!" Ron Weasley yelled as he came running down the stairs the next morning. He skidded into the kitchen, nearly colliding with his mother. "Mum! Harry isn't in his bed!" The young redhead tried to explain, fearing that something had happened to his best friend.

Remus Lupin walked through the door just in time to hear Rons' almost frantic tone. "Stop worrying Ron, he's okay. Harry had a vision of Voldemort last night and went up to Karas' room. He stayed up there with her last night, I imagine they're both still sleeping."

Both mother and son sighed in relief, knowing Harry was safe. "Well, breakfast will be ready soon. Perhaps the two of you could go back up and wake everyone while I finish this batch of pancakes." Molly said, turning back to her skillet.

While Ron woke the other teens and his father on the second floor, Remus headed back to the third floor. The werewolf went into his own room and retrieved his camera before walking across the hall to the room where his mate and her godchild were sleeping. He opened the door quietly so as not to disturb the occupants and smiled widely at the sight they presented.

Lying on their sides, facing each other, were Drakkara and Harry. The teenage boy had the side of his face pressed to his godmothers chest and his arms loosely wrapped around her ribs. Drakkara in turn was resting her cheek against the boys kitten soft black hair, her own dark locks falling over the back of Harrys head, making it hard to tell whose hair was whose. Her pale arms were crossed over the teen's back, one hand resting against his neck and the other over the small of his back. Each was smiling contentedly in their sleep, making for a lovely picture when Remus clicked the shutter on his camera several times.

The soft clicking noise woke Drakkara and she lazily opened her violet eyes. "Good Morning Remy, I want copies of those." She greeted sleepily. The womans voice and the movement of her chest under his cheek woke Harry, who blinked sleepily at his godmother and professor, causing the latter to take another picture.

"Good morning you two. How are you feeling Harry?" Remus asked, coming to sit at the foot of the bed. 

Harry tried out his movement capabilities and found that while his muscles were still a little sore, it was a vast improvement from the previous night. "Much better thanks. Still tired and a little sore though, I feel like I could sleep the day away."

Both the teen and his godmother sat up and leaned against the pillows, Harry keeping Drakkaras' arm around him and his head against her shoulder. "That's good to hear, you weren't looking your best last night. I'm sure if you ask her nicely, your godmum could come up with something to get rid of the soreness and lethargy. Molly says breakfast is almost ready and she's made pancakes so you'll want to hurry down and get some before the bottomless pit that is Ron Weasley eats them all." Remus announced, a teasing smile on his handsome face.

"Pancakes, yummy!" Harry said as he turned a puppy dog expression on Drakkara. "Can you give me something that'll make food sound better than more sleep Ama?" He asked pleadingly, not wanting to miss out on Mrs. Weasleys' pancakes because he couldn't force himself out of bed.

The violet-eyed woman nodded and released her godson to climb out of bed. "A bit of energizing potion and a mild healing draught ought to do the trick. I have some in the trunk, be back in a minute." She replied, walking over to the magical trunk and climbing in.

True to her word, she was back a few moments later with a vial of each potion she wanted the boy to take. Harry downed the potions quickly, grimacing with disgust at the taste. "Eww, blech! How come those two potions tasted like troll dung and the one you gave me last night didn't?"

Drakkara laughed and ruffled the boys' hair. "Secret ingredients Harry-love. The anti-cruciatus I gave you last night had a few improvements in it, the others didn't. Come on now, up you get. I want pancakes!"

The trio went to get Sirius up before they went down for breakfast, which inspired some more pictures and a good bout of laughter. The animagus was a difficult person to wake up as it turned out. Remus tried calling and shaking his best friend; Harry yelled "Food!" and tried jumping on his godfather. When that failed he tried tickling before standing back with the werewolf and declaring that it was impossible.

"Bah, you two just don't know how to go about waking a difficult man. Watch and learn, but if you ever try it on him yourselves, I _don't_ want to know about it!" With her former fiancé and godson watching, Drakkara sat down beside Sirius and leaned over him. She brushed her lips over his cheeks, nose, and forehead, looking up and grinning cheekily at the other two when Siri began to stir. 

Leaning back down, she kissed the animagus again, just softly brushing her lips over his. When she pulled back again she saw his eyes beginning to open and stood up from the bed, placing her hands on her hips and opening her mouth to yell, in her sternest teachers voice. "SIRIUS ORION BLACK! GET YOUR LAZY SELF OUT OF BED NOW! YOU ARE MISSING MY TRANSFIGURATION CLASS AND I WON'T STAND FOR IT! TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius practically leaped from the bed, bright blue eyes wide as he scanned the room for Minerva McGonagall. Seeing only his two best friends and his godson leaning against the wall laughing at him, it slowly dawned on him what had happened. "Merlin's Balls Kara! Did you have to scare me like that?"

Still gasping with laughter, the raven-haired woman nodded emphatically. "You bet I did! Harry and Remy had absolutely no luck waking you and I want some of Mollys' pancakes! Come on you lazy mutt, I'll make your coffee if you hurry."

Drakkara led the way down the two flights of stairs and entered the kitchen to find a full table. Molly and Arthur, along with the children and surprisingly, Albus, were well into their breakfast. Giving them a cheery good morning and pointedly ignoring the three teenage boys gaping at her peach silk tank top and boxer style sleep shorts, she headed for the coffee pot while Remus filled four plates with pancakes and set them in the open spaces around the table.

The group enjoyed a leisurely breakfast; eating silently for the most part but enjoying each other's company none the less. When they'd finished and were just sitting around with cups of tea, coffee, or pumpkin juice, Albus spoke up to explain his presence. "Harry, how are you feeling this morning?" The old wizard asked first. After receiving the boys' assurance that he was feeling no ill effects, thanks to his godmothers' potion making skills, Albus turned his twinkling blue eyes on Drakkara.

"As you were informed by Harry, Severus did indeed report your return to Voldemort during the Death Eater meeting last night. As you're now free to announce your return to the wizarding world, I wondered how you wanted to go about it." The headmaster asked.

The dark haired woman considered for a few moments before replying. "I suppose it would be easiest to just go into the Daily Prophet office and talk to someone there. I don't want to take all day about it; I need to take care of some things here today. If you have time Albus, I'd like you to go with me. We'll announce my return and taking of the DADA post at the same time."

The older wizard agreed to accompany his new professor readily, "I believe that would be best Drakkara. We can refrain from giving too many details of why you left and where you've been if we concentrate the announcement on your taking of the DADA post. I can spare an hour or so this morning to go with you."

Drakkara agreed with Albus and hurried back upstairs to dress. She entered her wardrobe and set out to find something that wouldn't give an impression that she was a skilled warrior. When Voldemort saw the photograph that would no doubt accompany the announcement, he would see a once powerful opponent that seemed to have softened over the years.

Eventually she chose a pastel green sundress with white roses embroidered around the hem and square neckline. She chose a gold necklace with an opal pendant and matching bracelet, anklet and earrings for jewelry, and white sandals. Her long black hair was combed out and clipped up at the sides, leaving the rest to fall in a smooth mane down her back. 

After activating the strong shielding charms imbued in her jewelry, Drakkara climbed back out of her trunk to find her godson sitting on her bed. The boy had a pensive and sad look on his face, which concerned the older woman. "Harry-love, what's wrong?"

Harry stood and walked over to his godmother, wrapping his arms around her. She returned the embrace and waited for him to voice his fears. The teen gave a small sigh, "I dunno, I guess I just don't want to share you with the rest of the world yet. The last couple days you've been just mine and Siri and Remys'."

"Oh, Precious. Do you think I'm going to leave you once the world knows I'm back?" She asked softly, keeping the teen in her arms as she moved them to the couch. She sat down and pulled Harry into her lap, holding him close and murmuring reassurances in his ear. "Harry, you and Remy and Sirius are my family, you won't lose me. I can't keep Albus waiting much longer, but when I get back I have something to show you, something that will show you just how special you are to me."

Reassured, Harry loosened his hold on the older woman and got off her lap, though he didn't object when she wrapped her arm around his shoulders as they walked downstairs. "You look really pretty Ama." He complimented, taking note of her outfit. 

She squeezed his shoulders and replied, "Thank you Sweetling. Being such a famous person yourself, do you have any suggestions as to how I should handle the interview?" Drakkara teased mildly.

The messy haired boy nodded, "Watch what the reporters' quill is writing. The nasty reporter who wrote a lot of the stories about me last year used a Quick Quotes Quill that made up a lot of crud."

Thanking her godson for his advice, they joined Albus in the entrance hall. Before they apparated out, Drakkara crouched down to look into Harrys' brilliant green eyes. "I love you Harry. I promise I'll come back." She gave him a tight hug, which he returned fiercely, before stepping away and disapparating with the headmaster.

* * * * * * * * * *

Albus Dumbledore appeared a moment later with his younger companion in the small courtyard at the back of the Leaky Cauldron. Despite her worry over Harry, Drakkara couldn't hold back a smile as she saw the wall that opened into Diagon Alley. It was in this courtyard in 1967 that she had met her best friend, Lily Evans. Stepping forward, she took her wand from its sheath and tapped the correct bricks to open the passageway.

As they stepped through the passage, Albus noticed that his young friend was lost in her memories. 'My poor child, what have I done to you? I forced you away from this world, your home, your friends and loved ones when you needed them the most. Now you're back, so strong, so powerful and confident. Again taking care of everyone before yourself, ignoring the memories that must pain you badly.' The old wizard thought to himself, gazing at the unfocused violet eyes that shone with unshed tears.

Feeling the weight of the headmasters' gaze, Drakkara broke away from the memories that had overcome her. "Sorry Albus, I couldn't help remembering. The courtyard was where I first met Lily." She explained and received a nod from the old wizard.

"Well, as the muggles say, let's get this show on the road. I want to get this over with as fast as possible. I need to spend today with Harry, Remus, and Sirius. Now, if I remember right, the Prophet office is just down this way." Without further ado, she looped her arm through Albus' and they strode confidently down the cobblestone street.

The offices of the Daily Prophet were chaotic on any normal day, but became even more so when Albus Dumbledore stepped through the front door accompanied by the loveliest woman many of the Prophet employees had ever seen. The editor of the wizarding newspaper, a man named Wilfred Rumormill, stepped out of his large office to greet the pair in person. "Headmaster Dumbledore, it's a pleasure to see you. What can we do for you today?"

Albus shook the hand offered to him. "Ah, Mr. Rumormill. I believe I have a newsworthy story for you. If you wouldn't mind meeting with my companion and I in your office?" The headmaster gestured toward the office and with a quick nod, the editor led them through.

After seating his illustrious guest and the mans companion, Wilfred Rumormill sat down behind his large desk and asked, "Well Headmaster, I'm quite interested to find out what you'd like to tell me, but would you mind introducing your lovely companion first? I must say, she looks quite familiar."

"As well she should Mr. Rumormill. I believe it may have been leaked to you from the Ministry that I have found a well qualified DADA teacher for this term at Hogwarts?" The editor raised his eyebrow curiously but nodded and waited for the older wizard to continue. "Good, good. Then I shall first introduce my companion as the holder of that position. She will be sharing classes with Remus Lupin when school starts on the first."

Both of the editors' eyebrows raised now, and he pulled a quill and parchment from his desk. "Really, Remus Lupin you say. The same Remus Lupin who taught two terms back, and resigned when it was found out that he was a werewolf?"

The headmaster nodded, "Yes, quite unfortunate that. I didn't want to accept his resignation; the man is a wonderful teacher."

Mr. Rumormill turned to Drakkara before the headmaster finished his comment. "And what are your feelings about working beside a dark creature, aren't you afraid that he might harm either you or the students?"

Violet eyes glared coldly at the man as Drakkara spoke for the first time. "Remus Lupin is not a dark creature, Mr. Rumormill. He is a man who was unfortunate enough to have been bitten by a werewolf when he was a child. As for my feelings, I'm quite happy to find myself in his company again. Remus is a kind, caring man, one I love dearly; and as Albus said, he is an excellent teacher. I have no fear that he would ever harm myself or the students."

"Well, you are certainly a brave woman Miss…" The editor trailed off, hoping to finally receive the womans name. He was sure he knew her face from somewhere, she was so ethereally beautiful that he was surprised he'd forgotten the name that went with the face.

Albus broke in again, chuckling. "Ah, this is where our true reason for coming here lies. You see Mr. Rumormill; my companion disappeared from the wizarding world fourteen years ago and has been presumed dead. She now wishes to announce her return, along with her new job. My young friend here is none other than Miss Drakkara Vanimaer, Defense Against the Dark Arts Master, Member of the Defense Masters Guild, and now Professor of DADA at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

Wilfred Rumormill had his mouth hanging wide open in shock. It had been the series of articles he wrote fourteen years ago about the Halloween Slaughter that had gotten him the promotion to editor. He'd written of the Potters deaths and how it was possible that the woman before him had witnessed the Dark Lords fall. He'd done a detailed piece about the womans disappearance, initiating the rumor that after witnessing the fall of the Dark Lord she'd been kidnapped and tortured to death by his followers. Also insinuating that there had been nothing left of her body to find when they'd finished, nothing solid to prove her death. To this day Drakkara Vanimaer had not been declared legally dead, was listed merely as Missing, Presumed Dead.

The man shook his head to clear it. "Headmaster, Drakkara Vanimaer has been presumed dead for fourteen years. Do you have any proof that she is who she claims to be?"

Dumbledore answered easily, "Of course. Drakkara became one of my close friends after her graduation from Hogwarts, as did the Potters. When she turned up in my office two days ago, I recognized her immediately. She also had detailed knowledge of things known only between the two of us. I can assure you without hesitation that this woman is Drakkara Vanimaer."

"And before you start asking questions Mr. Rumormill, where I have been and what drove me away are none of the publics business. What brought me back is simple. It was widely known that I opposed the Dark Lord during his first reign of terror. Now he is back to make a second attempt, and I returned to oppose him again. Lily and James Potter were two of my dearest friends. Harry Potter is my godson, and Albus Dumbledore is as a father to me. Voldemort has taken too much from me and those I love; I will not allow him to take anyone else." The raven-haired woman spoke every word clearly, and her comments about Voldemort had ice cold hatred in their tone.

Drakkara stood after she'd finished, and Albus joined her. "I believe that concludes the purpose of our visit Mr. Rumormill. Should you choose to print this story, I warn you to print only the words I spoke, not the ones you wish to put in my mouth. Should I see any propaganda, false quotes, or slanderous comments against myself, Headmaster Dumbledore, or any of the people I care about, you will find yourself and this newspaper being sued for everything you, and it, are worth."

Leaving the stunned man sitting behind his desk, Drakkara and Albus strolled casually out of the office, and then the building, taking note of several camera flashes as they passed. As soon as they were far enough away that the Prophet employees wouldn't be able to see them, they burst out in laughter. "Oh my! Drakkara dear, it would almost seem as though you didn't like Mr. Rumormill!" The bearded wizard said through his chuckles.

The lovely woman leaned back against a nearby wall and fully gave in to her merriment. "Oh! Did you see his face Albus? I believe he may have wet himself when I said Voldemort!" After her comment, it took several minutes for the pair to calm themselves enough that they could continue on their way.

Knowing Albus had to get back to the school, Drakkara suggested that they separate once they exited Diagon Alley. The older wizard agreed and said their good-byes in the courtyard. After Albus had disapparated, Drakkara stepped through the door into the pub. Wanting to get a case of butterbeer to take back to Grimmauld Place with her, she walked up to the counter and waited for Tom, the barkeep to notice her.

It didn't take long for the old bartender to make his way over. "What can I get for you today?" He asked, not looking up from the glass he was cleaning.

"Humph! After fourteen years you could manage a bit more enthusiasm at seeing an old friend Tom." Drakkara said, faking annoyance in her tone while she grinned at the old man.

Tom whipped his head up as he heard the familiar voice. One look into the lovely face and unusually shaded eyes confirmed what his ears had told him. "Merlin's ghost! You're supposed to be dead!" He exclaimed, rushing around the bar to embrace the younger woman.

She returned the hug, laughing at his astonishment. "Not quite Tom. It's good to see you again by the way."

It was now Toms' turn to sound annoyed as he replied, "Good to see me again, indeed! You get yourself behind that bar and start talking Little Girl. Where in the nine hells have you been?" He asked, leading her around the bar and gently pushing her onto a stool.

Drakkara shook her head, still smiling. "Sorry Tom, can't go into details right now. I've been here, there, and everywhere. Now I'm back, going to be teaching DADA with Remus at Hogwarts this year."

The bartender nodded agreement to her wish to keep the details of her disappearance quiet. "Teaching at Hogwarts you say? Well, good for you my girl. Always thought you'd make a good teacher. I'll let you off without telling me the whole story this time, but you better promise you'll come by here some night and tell me in private."

"I will Tom, maybe I can get Albus to give me a weekend away after the term starts so I can come visit. For now, I better get back home. Ring me up a case of butterbeer and a bottle of Ogden's would you?" The dark haired woman asked, standing up again and pulling a money pouch out of her purse.

Tom shook his head at his long time customer and sometimes tenant, "Put that pouch away Drakkara, it's on me this time in honor of your homecoming. You know where I keep the stock, go get what you want."

She gave the old man another hug and thanked him, then went back into the pub storeroom. Drakkara levitated a case of butterbeer and had it follow her back out into the pub, grabbing a bottle of fire-whiskey on the way. She said her good-byes to Tom and exited the pub, back into the courtyard. After putting a lightening charm on the case of butterbeer and lifting it, the newly returned to the public witch disappeared.

* * * * * * * * * *

After Albus and Drakkara had gone, Molly enlisted the aid of the teens to finish off cleaning the drawing room. Arthur went back up to the bedroom he shared with his wife so that he could play with his new muggle gadgets in peace. When only Sirius and Remus were left in the kitchen, the animagus gestured to his friend to take his coffee cup and come upstairs.

Knowing Siri probably wanted to take the opportunity to have a private talk, Remus followed behind his friend. They entered the animagus' bedroom and after the werewolf had shut the door, both men put up several locking and silencing charms. Turning to the golden-eyed man, Sirius asked, "How are you holding up Remy, seriously?"

"You get right to the point don't you Padfoot? Honestly, I think I'm still in shock. Part of me, most of me is so overjoyed to see her again, alive and safe. But there's still a small part of me that feels hurt, angry, and betrayed. She left Siri, just walked out of my life, all our lives, when we needed her most. She didn't even come back to our flat and tell me what had happened, I had to hear everything from Albus. I damn near went crazy when the old bastard told me she and James and Lily were dead. I think I did go mad for a while after you were arrested and Albus told me I couldn't have custody of Harry. I just don't know what I feel." The werewolf replied, his tone hoarse.

Remus sat down heavily on the sofa, his head in his hands. Sirius joined him a moment later. "Can't say I understand how you feel Moony, but I understand why you feel like this. She was such a big part of our lives, knowing she was able to just walk away from us, no matter that there were some really good reasons, hurts like hell."

The werewolf nodded, "And you Siri? How do you feel now that she's come back?" He asked.

Sirius sighed and leaned back against the sofa. "Me? I'm happy to see her again; happy to have another of my best friends back. It doesn't matter to me that, like you, there's a small part of me that feels hurt and angry that she left. She did what she did for the right reasons. Like we told her the other night, all that really matters is that she's back and we won't let each other go again."

"Yeah, you're right Padfoot. The past hurts don't matter as much now that she's back and doing what she always did best. Merlin, she's back two days and she's already taking care of us again. I still can't get over her inventing that bloody potion to help my transformations, and naming it after me on top of that!" Remus shook his head in fond exasperation over his mates' antics.

The raven-haired animagus chuckled as he replied, "Yeah, she always was good at taking care of us. Sometimes I think the reason it took us so long to really grow up is because she and Lily took care of us too much." Sirius' blue eyes clouded over in memory as he continued, "I never told any of you this, she asked me not to. Kara is the one who got me out of this house the summer after fifth year."

Looking over and seeing his best friend gaping, he explained. "We all separated at Kings Cross like usual remember? But none of us thought to ask where Kara was staying for the summer. A couple weeks later I went to Diagon Alley with my mother and found her boarding at the Leaky Cauldron, apparently that's where she stayed for most of the summer holidays every year. My mother insisted she come home with us, only after hearing that she was a Slytherin and a really powerful one. She wanted Kara to get together with Regulus."

Remus laughed at the thought of Kara and Sirius' little brother together. Especially seeing as Kara and Remus were already a couple by then. He gestured for Sirius to finish his story, curious as to what had happened. "For about a week, everything was fine. I think my mother was trying to impersonate Molly, she treated all three of us really well. One day she asked Kara and Reg to go down the street to get something from the store for her…"

Sirius broke off and loosed a shudder. He rubbed his right hand with his left, circling a particular spot on the back of his hand. "Treating me well must have been killing her. My mother was a bitch Remy; she enjoyed hurting me, both magically and physically. As soon as Kara was out of the house, she started in on me. For about ten minutes she beat the living crap out of me with her fists, then she started using magic. Unfortunately for her, Kara forgot something and came back."

"If you ever wondered what the saying 'hell hath no fury like a woman scorned' looks like, it looks like Kara did when she walked into the drawing room that day. My mother didn't see her come in, she was concentrating on burning a hole through my hand with her wand. You remember the other day she threatened the portrait with a flaming hand? That day, her whole body lit up with purple fire. She muttered some incantation in Quenya and that same fire engulfed Mothers' hands, and cuts and bruises came up on her body wherever she'd hit me." The blue eyed man gave another shiver at the power of the memory he was reliving.

Remus was seething with animalistic rage, his normally warm gold eyes glinting with fury. "Good. Bloody good on Kara. Merlin Siri, if we'd known how bad it was for you during the summer we would've made sure you stayed with one of us."

The animagus nodded, knowing it was the truth. "I know, but I couldn't tell you guys. Anyway, my mother ran from the drawing room, screaming her head off in pain and anger. The purple fire faded off Karas' body and she came over to kneel beside me on the floor. Merlin Remy, I was hurting so bad, and there was Kara leaning over me with tears running down her cheeks asking why I'd let my mother do that to me. She started wiping her tears off her face with her fingers and putting them in my mouth and on my cuts. I didn't realize they were healing me. She said some spells in Quenya again and after a few minutes I didn't hurt anymore."

"She told me I had to leave, that she'd take me away from here so my mother couldn't hurt me anymore. I said I couldn't leave, that Mother wouldn't pay my tuition to Hogwarts if I ran away. I'll never forget what she said to me then, she said 'Siri, if the only thing keeping you here is the money to pay for tuition and school supplies, then you're coming with me. I'll do whatever I have to do to get you away from this hell. I'll pay your tuition and buy your school supplies until we finish Hogwarts, just please Siri, let me get you out of here!'"

"And I let her. Some part of me knew I wouldn't survive the rest of the summer if I stayed, not after what Kara did to Mother. She took me to the Leaky Cauldron and we stayed in the room she had there until I was completely well. She saw my tuition paid and bought my supplies when the letters came, and when she went to stay with Lily the last two weeks of summer, I went to James and asked his parents if I could stay there the next summer. You know the rest." Sirius finished his story, and felt Remus take hold of his right hand. 

The werewolf looked closely at the tanned skin of his best friends' hand, and finally saw a slightly paler spot in the center, all that remained of a burn scar the size and shape of a wand tip. "I always wondered why you and Kara were so close when we started sixth year. I mean, sure you two were friends after what happened with Snape and after she and I got together. But after that summer, the couple 'Remus and Drakkara' seemed to become the trio 'Remus, Drakkara, and Sirius'. I'm sorry you went through all that hell with your mother Siri, so sorry I didn't see how bad it was for you here."

The animagus shrugged, "It's okay Moony, it was a long time ago. After Azkaban, my life here doesn't seem so bad. Anyway, we didn't come up here to relive my horrible childhood. We came up here so we could have a sappy, male form of 'girl-talk' and you could get your feelings off your chest. I mean, bloody hell, the love of your life just came back from the dead."

Remus shook his head slowly from side to side. "Yeah, the love of my life. And damned if I know what to do about that part of this mess in my head. I never stopped loving her Siri. I grieved for her every day for the last fourteen years, and losing her never stopped hurting. Now she's back and I want her just as much as I did before she left. She's my mate Padfoot, the only one for me. The only question is, does she still want me?"

"You must be getting old Remy, if you haven't seen the way she looks at you. She still loves you, as much as you love her. Hell man, like you said before, she invented a potion that's just short of a cure for lycanthropy and named it after you. If that doesn't show you that she loves you then I don't know what will." Sirius said confidently.

The two men sat in silence, lost in their thoughts. After a long while, they heard the rumbling noises of people coming up the stairs and realized their private time was over. Sirius stood up and squeezed his best friends shoulder affectionately. "Remy, stay up here as long as you need. I'm going to go give Molly a hand with the kids. Give yourself some time to think about everything, and make a decision about what you want and what's important to you. If you decide you want her back, go for it and just ask her how she feels, I don't think you'll be disappointed."

* * * * * * * * * *

Sirius left the room, closing the door softly behind him and headed downstairs to see what all the commotion was about. He found the Weasley twins trying to stifle their giggles as they hid out in their room and continued down to the first floor to see what the identical terrors had done and to whom. Just as he got to the entrance hall, the subject of his and Remus' conversation walked through the front door, trying to carry a case of butterbeer at the same time as opening the sometimes stubborn door.

The animagus hurried over and relieved Drakkara of her burden. "Ah, I see you went by to see Tom over at the Leaky Cauldron. How did your meeting at the Prophet go?" He asked candidly as they walked together toward the kitchen.

"It went quite well if I do say so myself. Albus and I had to hurry out trying to contain our laughter when we'd finished. The editor, Mr. Rumormill, is quite frightened by me, though I have no idea why? Am I a frightening person Siri?" Drakkara asked, giving him an overly innocent and disarming look.

Sirius burst out laughing, "Merlin, don't look at me like that Kara. You looking innocent is more frightening than when you're being intimidating. I can only imagine what you did to the poor reporter."

They entered the kitchen as Drakkara quoted her last comments to the editor of the Prophet, which caused Sirius to laugh again and brought the attention of the rooms occupants to them. "Ooh, Butterbeer! Thanks Kara, we were almost out!" Ron exclaimed after seeing the case in the raven-haired mans arms.

Drakkara walked over to where Harry was sitting and gave him a one armed hug. "You're welcome Ron." In a lower voice, she addressed her godson, "See Harry-love, I told you I'd come back."

The group sat around for a while, talking about Drakkaras' meeting with the editor of the Prophet. After about half an hour, Molly had her children head upstairs to do some more work on their summer assignments and Sirius took a plate of raw meat and bones out of the fridge. "What on earth is that for Siri?" Harry asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Thought I'd take Buckbeaks lunch up to him and give the poor guy some company. The last few days have been too hectic to spend any time with him." The older man replied.

Harry gaped at his godfather. "You mean he's here? I thought you'd let him loose to find a herd or something."

Drakkara was giving the man and boy a look that said she was doubting their sanity. "Who, or rather what, is Buckbeak?" She asked.

The messy haired teen quickly explained about Buckbeak being the hippogriff he and Hermione had rescued from execution and in turn used to rescue Sirius from the Dementors. The woman caught on quickly, having heard the story from Fawkes. She said she'd make a point of going up and introducing herself to the hippogriff in the next few days.

When Sirius had left with the plate of meat for the animal, Drakkara turned to Harry. "Well Sweetling, would you like to see that thing I told you about this morning?"

The boy nodded emphatically and followed his godmother up to her room. Once inside, the woman opened the second chamber of her trunk and pulled out a pile of photo albums. After closing that chamber she opened the one next to it and ushered Harry inside. They stepped down into a large office and sat together on the couch in one corner. 

Drakkara handed the albums to Harry and said, "These are all pictures from my Hogwarts days. Your mum and dad, as well as Sirius and Remus are featured quite prominently. Why don't you take a look while I prepare the things I brought you in here to see."

Harry nodded and dove eagerly into the first album. The pictures were labeled and Harry was quickly absorbed in the first image, which was entitled 'The Evans family and Drakkara Vanimaer'. For the first time, Harry saw his maternal grandparents. His grandmother Iris was a redhead like his mother, and greatly resembled the pictures he had of his mother when she was older. 

The teen was so involved in flipping through the pictures of his mother and godmothers first year at Hogwarts that he didn't notice Drakkara sit back down beside him a few minutes after she'd left. "Oh, I remember that. Lily was so angry at James you could hear her yelling in Gryffindor Tower from the Slytherin common room." She commented about a snapshot of his mother sporting silver hair and green freckles. "I'm afraid that prank was due to her being friends with me. We got him back eventually, there should be a picture in there of James and Sirius coming out of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom in nothing but their boxer shorts."

She sat the album aside and pointed Harry towards a penseive that was now sitting on her desk. "In there is what I wanted to show you Harry. Let's go in and I'll explain what you're seeing." The teen walked over to the large stone bowl filled with silvery liquid, and after Drakkara brought up the correct memory, they went in together.

Looking around, Harry found himself standing in a hospital room with his mother and Drakkara. "This is my memory of our first meeting Harry-love. Remus, Sirius, and Peter had just taken your father out for a celebratory drink at the pub." Silently, they watched Lily examine her baby boy, cooing at him and smiling, while the younger Drakkara watched from the door.

The memory of his godmother came to stand beside her best friend and the two women spoke for a few moments. "Congratulations Lily, he's beautiful. What are you going to name him?" The memory Drakkara asked.

"We decided to name him Harry. Harry James Potter. Kara, I want you to be his godmother. You're my best friend, and I know if anything happens to me or James you'll take care of our baby. Please say you will Kara, I need to know he'll have you to look after him." Lily held out her hand towards the raven-haired woman, and Drakkara took it with a bright smile on her face.

Clasping her best friends' hand in hers, Drakkara replied, "Of course I will Lily. But nothing is going to happen to you and James, not if I can help it. Can I hold him?"

The redhead gave Drakkara a relieved smile and handed the baby over. The real Drakkara, standing with her arm around the teenage Harry whispered, "Watch."

As the memory of the violet-eyed woman took the newborn in her arms and lowered her eyes to look at him, the baby's bright green eyes opened, and something happened. As the eyes of the woman and baby met for the first time, a golden glow surrounded them and tinkling voices like bells sounded through the room. The glow and the voices only lasted a moment, but as they faded away, a golden thread seemed to come out of both their chests and tie together.

Lily was watching the scene with wide eyes, "Good Merlin, that was a heart bond forming." She whispered with awe. "He's ours now isn't he Kara? Not just mine and James, he's your son too."

"Yes Lily, he's ours now. Harry James Potter, son of Lily and James Potter, heart-bound child of Drakkara Vanimaer." The raven-haired woman said, her joy and love obvious in her voice.

The redhead nodded her agreement to her sons' title and replied, "I'm glad. You've always been my sister Kara, in heart and soul if not in blood. My Harry couldn't want for a better heart-mother."

The memory started to fade away, and Drakkara pulled Harry out of the penseive. She sat down in the large chair behind the desk and opened her arms to her shocked godson. He sat down in her lap and curled his arms tightly around her neck. After a few minutes, Drakkara reached out and pulled two pieces of paper from the desktop. 

Showing the official looking documents to Harry, she explained. "These are my copies of your birth certificate and christening certificate. See here on the birth certificate where it says Mother and Father? Look just below at the Secondary Connections box."

Harry read the document where she'd indicated, "Secondary Connections: Drakkara Vanimaer: Heart-bound mother. Magical Bond formed 07/31/80." Glancing over at the christening certificate, he saw the same notation under the place where she was named as his godmother.

"Now you see what makes you so special to me Harry. I'm not just your godmother, which is just a term for a person chosen as a child's secondary guardian. What you saw in the penseive was a magical bonding, a heart bonding. Basically what that means is that when our eyes met, our hearts recognized that the other was its equal in all things. It's pretty rare for the bond to form between an adult and child, but when it does, the adult becomes like a third parent to the child." She explained, having researched heart bondings after being joined with Harry.

Holding the boy close, Drakkara closed her eyes and felt for the magical tie that bound her heart to his. After the fourteen-year separation, the bond was thin, but after locating it she was able to send her love through the link, telling Harry in a way more effective than any words how she felt about him. "Do you feel that Harry? That is my love for you. No matter what happens to either of us in this life, no matter how far apart we are, that connection will always be there. All you have to do is look into your heart and you'll find me."

Using her words as a guide, Harry tried to feel the area in his chest that was still pulsing with the warmth of Drakkaras' love. When he thought he'd located the thread, he tried sending his own feelings through it. He watched his heart-mothers' face and smiled happily when her eyes closed as his love and contentment reached her. "Now you see Harry-love, you can never lose me." She whispered.


	10. Chapter 9

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents Author: Sinayah ****

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG 13 for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 9

Drakkara and Harry stayed cuddled together in her office chair long after the womans legs and backside went numb from having the boys' weight on her lap. They worked at strengthening the bond between them, sending emotions back and forth. She summoned her photo albums from the chair and they looked through the pictures together, with Drakkara explaining the stories behind many of the candid shots.

Eventually, the pair roused themselves and stood up to stretch. "Well Sweetling, since I have you in here, would you mind helping me bottle some potions?" She asked, remembering that she needed to finish off the batch of Lupins Hope in her lab and get this months supply sent off to the pair of werewolves she'd befriended and tested the potion on.

"Sure Ama, as long as I don't have to make anything. Between Snape making nasty comments taking points from Gryffindor and Malfoy trying to sneak extra ingredients into my cauldron all the time, I really dread that class." Harry explained as Drakkara led him over to the row of keystones in her office and opened the door to the tenth chamber.

She led him to the potions lab and went into the storeroom to get some empty vials. When she returned, she saw Harry leaning over the cauldron, looking and sniffing at its contents. "Hermione told us about this stuff last night. Will it really help Remus transform without pain and let him keep his human mind? I only saw him transform once, but I could tell it hurt like hell. If Siri hadn't been there to protect us, the wolf would've killed us."

Drakkara shuddered at the thought of her beloved Moony transformed and wild near her equally beloved godson. She gave Harry a pair of dragonhide gloves to wear and handed him an empty vial when he had them on. As she poured out the inky black potion she replied, "Yes, it should make Remys' transformation almost painless, and he'll be no more dangerous than Padfoot. He'll need to start taking it tomorrow; the full moon is in four days. Thankfully, Lupins Hope only needs to be taken for three days to work effectively."

Working together, the woman and boy quickly filled nine bottles of the potion. Drakkara sat three of them aside for Remus, and pulled a small leather case with slots for potions vials out from under the workbench. "Who are these for?" Harry asked as he helped put the corked and sealed vials into the slots.

"I have a couple friends in Wales that are werewolves. When I was ready to test this potion, my friends agreed to act as test subjects for me. I've been supplying them with Lupins Hope every month for just over a year now and they tell me it's the best thing that's ever happened to them. Neither can afford to have someone make Wolfsbane for them, so they were happy to test this on the condition that if it worked I would continue to supply them with it at no cost for two years after the testing was complete." She explained, making sure the vials were secure before shutting the case.

Harry took the empty cauldron and utensils to the sink and began to wash them in hot, soapy water. "That's great Ama, this could really help all the werewolves. Maybe they wouldn't be so eager to join Voldemort if they could get this potion from our side. Is it really hard or expensive to make? That's the major problem with Wolfsbane isn't it?"

The raven-haired woman nodded, "Yes, Wolfsbane is one of the most difficult potions I know of. I can make it, but most people who've only had basic education in potions can't. The ingredients are expensive to buy, and difficult to harvest if you wanted to get them yourself. Lupins Hope has some common herbal and animal ingredients, but it's mostly ground stone that has magical properties."

As they ascended the ladder and stepped out of the trunk, Drakkara answered her godsons' questions about werewolves and the only two potions that could aid their transformations. Remus overheard their topic of conversation as he joined them on the way to the second floor. "I didn't know you were so interested in werewolves Harry. What brought this on?"

"Hey Remus. Ama and I just finished bottling your potion for this month and we started talking about it." Harry greeted the older man warmly.

Remus smiled and ruffled the teen's hair. "Well, if you want to ask me any questions feel free. Your godmum and I know just about everything there is to know on the subject. Speaking of the potion though, when do I need to start taking it Kara?"

The woman gave her mate a smile and replied, "Tomorrow night, just before sunset. You'll need a dose for the two nights before the full moon and one just before you transform. Before I give you the first dose though, I'd like to use some deep healing spells I've learned on you. I can reverse a lot of the wear and tear the transformations have put on your body, and the potion will work better if you're in top condition."

The werewolf nodded in agreement. "Sounds good to me. I've worked out that for every year of transformations, my body is aging an extra six months. If you can reverse even half of that I'll be happy. Some days I feel as old as Albus."

"How about we take care of that after dinner tonight. I'd like to work on Siri too, try and reverse some of the effects of Azkaban." By the time she made that comment, they'd descended onto the ground floor and were walking into the sitting room. Sirius looked up on hearing his name and asked what was going on. While Remus quietly explained what Drakkara wanted to try on them, the raven-haired woman threw a pinch of floo powder into the fireplace and placed a firecall to Dumbledores' office.

With her head in the verdant green flames, Drakkara looked into the headmasters' office and spotted Fawkes on his perch by the desk. "Fawkes my friend, just the bird I wanted to see. Can you come over here for a few minutes? I need a favor."

The brilliantly hued avian quickly agreed and as the woman pulled her head out of the fire and stood up, facing the room, Fawkes appeared just in front of her face in a flash of fire. Speaking in Quenya, she addressed the bird. "Fawkes, I love you dearly, but you really need to stop apparating in front of my face. One of these days you're going to cut it too close and either burn me or splinch us, which would not be a good thing."

The other occupants in the room listened in, not understanding the conversation, but enjoying the sounds of phoenix song and Drakkaras' native language. "Humph, you have no faith in me Drakkara. I've been apparating for longer than you've been alive; I have positioning down to an art form. What favor did you need of me?"

Drakkara held up the case of potions vials as the bird landed on her shoulder. "I need to get this to some friends in Wales, and no way to get it there. Usually I'd have it shipped the muggle way, by airmail, but it would take too long, my friends need it by tomorrow night. Would you mind apparating it over?"

"Certainly my friend, if you'll give me the visualization of my destination. You really should look into getting yourself a messenger owl though, if you're going to be sending delicate parcels often. I've seen those muggle contraptions that fly in the air, they don't seem very reliable to me." The phoenix stated.

The violet-eyed woman laughed lightly and replied, "We'll see, though I think Vrisan and Narasi might object if I inflicted the presence of an owl on them. They don't even particularly care for the messenger owls that deliver mail to me on occasion."

After speaking for a few more minutes, Drakkara walked over to the small desk in the room and wrote a quick note for her friends. She let them know that she was now in England and had reclaimed her proper identity. She also explained that she would be teaching at her old school with her former fiancé who they knew to be a werewolf. Lastly, she invited them to visit her at the school whenever they could make the trip, as they hadn't seen each other in a few months. 

After signing off, Drakkara attached the letter to the case and gave them to Fawkes. She touched the magical birds mind long enough to give him a clear visualization of her friends kitchen. "Thank you Fawkes, I appreciate this. Perhaps you could stop by here soon and we can visit properly, without any distressing news or pressing matters to attend to." She said fondly, stroking the phoenixes bright plumage.

"You're very welcome Drakkara, it's no trouble. I'll make a point to come by for an afternoon in the next few days. Until then, be well." Fawkes replied, nuzzling her hand with affection. The woman and bird said their good-byes and with another flash of fire, Fawkes disapparated.

* * * * * * * * * *

The afternoon and evening passed in its usual chaotic manner. Fred and George had become obsessed with trying out all their new muggle style pranks, and working to create magical variations of the better ones. No one in the house was safe from their mayhem. Even the Marauders and Drakkara fell victim to one of the twins classic pranks, Canary Creams, and ended up sporting yellow feathers for five minutes.

Ginny had brought Zephyr down to play with everyone, and Drakkara ended up telling the story of her meeting with a water elemental cat on her travels. She answered questions from both girl and feline as to what they could expect of the cats powers in the coming months, and offered to let the younger girl borrow the few books she had about elemental powers.

After a delicious dinner of sausages and mash, Drakkara asked Remus and Sirius to accompany her upstairs so that she could perform the healing she'd promised. Both Harry and Hermione asked if they could watch, being interested in healing magic. After receiving permission from all three adults, the group headed upstairs into Drakkaras' room.

Once in her room, Drakkara stepped into her trunk for a moment, coming out with a pair of what looked like strings of beads on copper wire with a large green pendant in the middle. She looped the bands over her hands and through her fingers until the green stone pendant was in the center of her palm. She explained that the purpose of the bands were to focus and amplify her natural healing abilities, which was a talent common in her native people.

"Okay Remy, you first since you're familiar with my way of healing. Lay down on the bed and put yourself in a light trance." The werewolf did as he was asked without questioning, having undergone Drakkaras' healing in the past. He stretched himself out on the bed and closed his eyes, concentrating on relaxing and breathing until he was in a mild trance.

Drakkara waited a few minutes, then lightly touched her patients' mind to see if he was ready. Feeling that he was now in the right state of mind, she began her work. She knelt on the bed beside her mate and closed her eyes. Without her physical sight, the womans mind was able to sense Remus' physical body in a more detailed way. She was able to 'see' the wear and tear from his many years of forced transformation.

When she had a complete sense of the work before her, she raised her hands and placed one over the mans forehead, the other over his heart. Focusing on healing and rejuvenating the muscles, tendons, and bones, she let her magic flow through her. She felt the power warming her body as it coursed down her arms and into her hands. Using the stones wrapped around her hands to focus the magic on what she wanted and amplify its power, she 'saw' the healing begin.

To the man and two teens that were watching the procedure, it didn't seem like anything was happening at first. Then they noticed the small details; Remus' and Drakkaras' breathing had synchronized, as had their heartbeats, and if one looked closely they might have seen the auras of the pair become visible as a faint glow around them. Watching so intently, they were forced to blink several times when Drakkaras' purple aura suddenly became bright and vibrant. 

When their eyes adjusted to the new light emanating from the woman, they saw the magic taking effect on their werewolf friend. They saw the brilliant purple aura that was Drakkaras' magic pulse down her arms, through the green stones on her palms, and into Remus' head and chest. Gradually, they were able to see the positive changes occurring. 

First to go were the streaks of silver in Remus' honey brown hair. Then the lines of age around his eyes, forehead, and mouth smoothed away. The mans body, honed to extreme thinness by years of hard living, seemed to fill out a bit, as did the firm muscles below the skin. The last thing the watchers noticed, towards the end of the procedure, was that Remus' emerald green aura, which had flared into visibility with Drakkaras', though fainter, now grew to match the brightness of the womans. 

Finally, the healing seemed to come to an end. The bright auras faded back into invisibility, Drakkaras' hands fell back to her sides, and both Remus and the woman opened their eyes. "How do you feel Remy-love?" The raven-haired woman asked quietly.

"Better than I have in years Kara. I don't feel like an old man anymore." Remus replied, his tone both happy and grateful. When Drakkara slid off the bed, he followed; muscles flowing easily as he stood up and stretched, belying his predatory grace. He hooked an arm around the waist of his violet-eyed mate and pulled her un-protesting body into his arms. "C'mere Pretty Girl, give us some love." He growled teasingly and nuzzled his face into her pale throat, nipping gently at the sensitive skin there.

Drakkara melted into his embrace just as she had in years past. The growling and playful nips and kisses had always been Remus' favorite way of showing his affection for her, usually leading up to a long cuddling session. Her arms came up and looped around his neck, the fingers of one hand sliding into his longish hair to massage the base of his skull.

Sirius watched the couple with a broad grin on his face, knowing his best friend had made the decision to reclaim his mate. He waited for them to remember that they had an audience, shushing the teens when they started to fidget impatiently. The couple finally came back to reality a few moments later, turning simultaneously to smile at their friends.

"Ready for your turn Siri?" Drakkara asked, gesturing for the animagus to take the same position Remus had been in during his healing procedure. The blue eyed man nodded and lay down on the bed.

The woman knelt beside him and instructed him as to how to achieve the mild trance she needed in order to work most efficiently. Sirius quickly caught on to the meditative technique and they were soon ready to begin. This procedure was going to be slightly different that what she'd done with Remus. Drakkara started with both hands hovering over her friends' heart, letting the healing magic pulse through her again to rectify the damage done to Sirius' body during his imprisonment. 

Again, those watching could see both the purple aura of the woman, and the fainter, vibrant red that was Sirius'. The physical manifestations of the healing didn't take long to become apparent. As with Remus, the physical signs of a hard life lessened, and muscles and skin firmed and filled out. After about ten minutes, Sirius was looking more like the pictures of him taken before Azkaban than the skeletally thin and haunted looking criminal on the wanted posters.

It seemed to the watchers that Drakkara was almost finished, as the auras surrounding the pair began to fade out. But she was only halfway through the chore she'd set herself with her friend. Her delicate, pale hands moved away from Sirius' heart and she lightly touched the stones on her palms to his temples. 

Healing the animagus' body came easily to Drakkara; it was a natural talent inherited from her father. What she was about to do was different though, and much more difficult. The worst effects of Sirius' imprisonment weren't in his body, but his mind. Twelve years of constant exposure to Dementors had left her friends' mind scarred, his memories seriously out of balance. While his worst memories were painfully clear and easily recalled, his good memories were cloaked in shadow.

The woman lowered herself into a deeper trance and let her mind touch with her patients'. She searched out the shadowed memories and used her powerful healing magic to lift the black veils that suppressed all the best memories of Sirius' life. After she'd removed those blocks, she moved on to the painfully raw areas that held the animagus' worst memories and again used her power to soothe the bad memories until they were equal in balance to the good ones, as they should be.

It was a delicate form of healing, and Drakkara went about it cautiously. It was draining for her to focus and control her magic so precisely, but well worth the effort. When she finally drifted out of her trance, her friends' mind was as whole and balanced as it had been before his arrest. Her violet-eyes fluttered open for a moment and she was able to give Sirius a lovely smile of happiness before she fainted from her efforts and fell unconscious over his chest.

Seeing the woman fall bonelessly over Sirius' chest, the others rushed forward. "What happened to cause this Siri, do you know? I've never seen a healing take so much out of her." Remus asked as he lifted his mate up and settled her beside the animagus.

"Merlin, she did a mind-healing on me. She unblocked my good memories and soothed the bad ones back into balance. You know how I've been since Azkaban Remy, I can't clearly remember all the good times in my life, but I have nightmares about the bad things that have happened to me all the time. I felt her fixing it, putting my memories back in balance, it must've taken a ton of effort to control the power so she didn't hurt me." Sirius replied, turning over onto his side to look at the unconscious woman with eyes wide in astonishment.

Harry stepped up to the bed and took hold of his heart-mothers hand. "Is she going to be okay?" He asked worriedly, feeling inside himself for the connection to her.

Both Remus and Sirius gave him a reassuring smile, "She'll be fine kiddo, she just wiped herself out doing too much. She'll wake up in a little while, probably with a killer headache. All she needs is a good nights sleep to recover her energy and she'll be good as new." The animagus answered, reaching out to stroke the womans pale forehead.

"She always was an over achiever. Imagine trying to balance out your godfathers mind…he was rather unbalanced to start with!" Remus joked, easing the tension and worry from the others and making Harry and Hermione laugh at Sirius' indignant expression.

Sirius managed to stand up after a few minutes, the recent healing of his mind causing a slight bout of dizziness. Other than that mild and quickly dissipated side effect, the animagus was feeling better in both mind and body, than he'd felt in fourteen years. Looking down at the bed, he saw that Remus was now sitting next to Drakkara and petting her long dark hair. Harry was still holding the womans hand, his eyes closed and his expression one of concentration. "Whatcha doing kiddo?" He asked the teen.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at his godfather. "Just giving her a little bit of energy Siri, like you said, she's really tired. She's happy though, I can feel that, just too sleepy to wake up for a while."

Hermione looked at her friend with wide, curious eyes, though Remus and Sirius just nodded and smiled at the boy. "She told you about the bond then? Good, I wondered if she was going to tell you soon." Sirius commented.

Harry nodded, "Yeah, she showed me her memory of when it happened and we practiced sending emotions back and forth to strengthen it. She showed me some of her photo albums too. I gotta know Padfoot, how did you and Dad manage to spend six more years at Hogwarts after Mum and Ama locked you in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with only your underwear on? Myrtle's the most perverted ghost I know." The messy-haired teen laughed, joined by Remus as the werewolf recalled that particular incident.

Even Sirius had to laugh at the cunning way the two girls had gotten revenge on James and himself for their pranks in first year. "Merlin, I didn't know she had pictures of that! Myrtle followed us around the castle all the time after that, hoping your mum and Kara would hex our clothes off again. It was embarrassing as hell, the bloody ghost was still popping up at unexpected times when we were in seventh year!"

When they'd calmed down a bit from their bout of humor, Sirius ushered the two teens out of the room, encouraged by Remus who said he'd stay and watch over the sleeping woman. As the animagus closed the door behind him he said, "Good luck Moony, not that you'll need it. I'll come up and check on you two before I hit the sack."

"Thanks Padfoot, I think you may be right. See you later." The werewolf replied, smiling at his friend. Left alone with his mate, Remus slid onto the bed beside Drakkara and wrapped his arms around her, cradling her head against his chest. He closed his eyes and pressed a kiss into her sweet smelling hair, "_Amin mella ile, _my Beautiful Wanderer, I love you." He whispered, speaking one of the only phrases he knew in her native language, having heard them spoken to him many times in the past.

Drakkaras' violet eyes fluttered open for a moment and she smiled at her mate. "You remembered. _Amin mella ile_ Remy. I love you too." She replied quietly before snuggling down and falling asleep again.

* * * * * * * * * *

The couple woke up a couple hours later, hearing Molly sending the teens off to bed. "How are you feeling Kara? You should've warned me you were going to try a mind healing, we were worried when you passed out." Remus chided gently, running his fingers through Drakkaras' hair.

The violet-eyed woman yawned before replying, "Mmm, better but still tired. I need to change clothes before I go back to sleep though. Would you stay with me tonight?" She asked the last question a bit hesitantly; hoping his words of love hadn't been a wonderful dream.

His warm smile was her answer, "I'll go get changed and come back. Siri shouldn't be too far behind the kids; he was going to check on us before he went to bed. I don't think you're up to walking around just yet Kara-love. Is there a password to open your trunk so I can get you some pajamas?" Remus asked, sliding off the bed.

"Yeah, put your hand on the stone that's on top of the lid for a minute." When he complied, she called, "Recognize Remus Lupin." The stone under Remus' hand glowed for a moment, as did the ten chamber stones. "Now the trunk will recognize you and open any chamber you want. My wardrobe is the fifth chamber, nightclothes are next to the ladder."

Remus quickly opened the fifth chamber and climbed in, gaping at the sheer volume of clothes, shoes, and accessories the room contained. He knew his mate was a clotheshorse, but this was ridiculous. He spotted the assortment of sleep sets and nightgowns hanging just where she said they would be and sorted through them, finally picking out an ankle length silk gown in champagne gold.

He came out of the trunk and handed his mate the garment saying, "Kara, my dearest love, you have a serious clothing addiction. There are more clothes in that trunk than you could possibly wear in a year."

Drakkara laughed at the look Remus was giving her, which said he thought she was out of her mind. "Yes, I know, but I enjoy having a large choice of clothing. It's a female thing Remy; I'm not insane so quit looking at me like that. Go get your pajamas so I can change."

The werewolf complied, still shaking his head over Drakkaras' little obsession as he closed the door behind him. The raven-haired woman got out of bed and went into her bathroom to get ready for bed. She undressed, draping her green dress over the towel rack, and picked up the sleepwear Remus had chosen for her. Seeing the pale gold gown she shook her head and smiled in amusement. "I should've known. He always was a sucker for silk nightgowns."

She slid the gown over her head, the silk clinging to her generous curves. Thin straps left her arms and shoulders bare, and a slit in the left side showed off her long, shapely legs. She quickly brushed her teeth, and when Remus returned, clad in his black silk pajama pants, she was brushing her long black hair.

He took the brush from her hands and started brushing her hair himself; something he'd found out years before was quite enjoyable. Smoothing out the few tangles until the thick tresses fell like an inky black waterfall down to her hips, he watched her contented expression in the mirror. While he enjoyed brushing his mates' hair for her and would've been happy to keep sliding the brush through her thick mane, Remus stopped when he saw her tiring. 

"There, all done. Time for exhausted little witches to go back to bed." He stated, scooping her up to carry her back to bed. He laid her down on the left side of the bed, nearest to the wall, and covered her with the blankets. When she was settled, he walked around to the other side and crawled in beside her. 

She was lying on her back, and Remus leaned up on one elbow to face her. "Kara," He started, a bit cautiously. "I did a lot of thinking today. About us, what we were to each other in the past, and what our relationship might be now and in the future. All this time, I thought you were dead and cursed myself for wanting to wait until after we were married to mark you. I grieved for you, but some part of me must have known you weren't dead, because I never stopped loving you. Do you think we can be together again? After all these years, all the changes we've gone through, is there a chance that the people we are now can love each other as our younger selves did?"

Tears of happiness shone in Drakkaras' eyes as she replied, "Remy, you've been my dearest love since I was fifteen years old. You let me cry my broken heart out on your shoulder, befriended me and helped Siri, James, and Peter accept me into your group of friends. The first time you said you loved me, I knew I'd never be able to be with anyone else. Leaving you that night was the hardest thing I've ever done. I want nothing more than to be yours again, and have you be mine, if you'll have me."

"I wouldn't have anyone else. You're my mate Drakkara Vanimaer, and I love you with all my heart." With that declaration, Remus leaned down and covered Drakkaras' lips with his own. They kissed with a gentle passion, re-learning the taste and texture of each other's mouths. Breathing seemed unimportant as their lips parted and their tongues began to dance together.

After many long moments, they parted and snuggled together under the blankets. "It just figures. We overcome our fears and get back together, but I'm too exhausted to do more than kiss you good-night." Drakkara pouted, resting her head against Remus' lightly furred chest and stroking one hand lazily over his firm abdomen.

The tawny-haired man chuckled lightly at her sulky tone. "My poor little Love. We have plenty of time later for more than kissing. Right now I'm quite content to hold you close while we sleep. Good-night Kara."

Drakkara had enough energy left to pull her mate down for another short kiss before she dropped off to sleep with a murmured, "G'night Love."

When Harry and Sirius quietly opened the door a while later, both Remus and Drakkara were fast asleep. The raven-haired man and boy smiled at the couple, happy that they'd been able to overcome the past and renew their love for each other. The sleeping pair were curled together in a way that spoke of long familiarity with their bed partner. Remus' fingers were twined in Drakkaras' long hair, and the womans arm was curled up around his neck, her head on his shoulder. The man and boy took a last look before leaving the room again, turning off the light and shutting the door on their way out.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next three days passed fairly quickly for the residents of 12 Grimmauld Place. Under the encouragement, or nagging, of Molly and Drakkara, all of the teens remaining summer assignments were finished and looked over to see if their efforts were satisfactory. Once their homework was checked over and approved by the adults, the teens were free to spend their days doing as they liked, providing that they didn't complain when they were asked to help with the ongoing cleaning project.

Drakkara had brought her big screen television and its accompanying VCR and DVD player out of the trunk and set the entertainment system up in the sitting room under the fascinated gaze of Arthur Weasley. The Weasley patriarch eagerly listened as she explained how the devices were used, and was the first one seated when she started the first movie for the group.

Everyone had been very appreciative of the television, using the charmed electronic devices to watch several movies in the raven-haired womans collection. Now, three days after she'd healed Remus and Sirius, an hour before the werewolfs' first transformation using her potion, Drakkara was setting up a real muggle-style movie fest for the group.

Remus, Sirius, and Drakkara had originally planned to lock themselves away on the third floor of the house during Remus' transformation since they were quite unafraid of Moony and enjoyed spending time with the huge wolf. But their plans had changed when all the teens had expressed a desire to spend the evening in the werewolfs' company. The tawny haired man had been ecstatic that the children wanted to spend time with him in his wolf form and agreed that once Sirius and Drakkara were assured that the potion had worked, he would come downstairs and join the teens watching movies.

* * * * * * * * * *

Remus found Sirius and Drakkara in the sitting room picking out movies. "Time to go upstairs guys, I can feel the moon rising." He stated, the beast within him making his voice sound strained.

The three adults informed Molly, Arthur, and the teens that they were locking themselves upstairs until Remus had finished his transformation, and had the red haired woman start preparing popcorn, butterbeer, and other assorted snacks in preparation for the movies. They went up to the third floor quickly, and Remus watched as his mate put up several strong locking spells that would keep Moony in if the potion didn't work, though the woman was quite confident that it would.

They settled in Drakkaras' bedroom and the woman tipped the last dose of Lupins Hope down her mates' willing throat. Sirius transformed into Padfoot, the huge grim-like dog, in preparation to greet his fellow canine when Moony emerged. Drakkara sat back on her bed and Padfoot jumped up and placed his head in her lap to be petted. 

With just a few minutes left until moonrise, Remus casually removed his clothing, earning himself a low whistle from Drakkara as the woman admired his body. He gave her a smirk in return and came to lie down beside her on what was now 'his' side of the bed. "Everything will be fine Remy-love, you'll see. When the change starts, just relax and let it occur. Trust that I wouldn't have given you the potion if I wasn't sure it would work." Drakkara said quietly, softly stroking Remus' hair.

Remus took her delicate hand in his larger one and kissed her palm. "I trust you Kara, and I trust your potion. I'm just nervous about transforming without pain and then spending the night watching movies with all the kids. I can't believe they actually want to meet the wolf."

Before Drakkara could reply, all three people saw the transformation start. The violet-eyed woman started singing quietly in her native language, which she knew to be soothing to the wolf that was a part of her mate. Sirius whined and wagged his tail in anticipation of seeing his transformed friend.

Rather than in the past, where Remus had felt an acute, burning pain come over him as the change started, this time he only felt a mild warmth and tingling sensation throughout his body. His body started to change, not jerkily or painfully, but as smoothly as an animagus transformation. He concentrated on the sound of Drakkaras' singing and let the warmth and tingling wash through him, changing his body easily and painlessly.

After just a few moments, the largest wolf either Drakkara or Sirius had ever seen lay on the bed in Remus' place. Moony was at least twice as big as any normal wolf, and even the huge canine that was Sirius' animagus form was no match for the fully-grown alpha werewolf in size and strength. The tawny and gray furred wolf rolled over onto his belly and sat up, glowing amber eyes taking in the form of his human mate.

"Hello there Moony, I've missed you." Drakkara said, opening her arms for the wolf to move into. Moony returned the greeting by leaning his bulk into the woman, letting her arms wrap around his thick neck, and licked enthusiastically at her face and throat. "Hey, watch where you put that tongue Remy, I know you're in there." She laughed, gently pushing the large muzzle full of sharp teeth out of her face.

Sirius, still in his animagus form, decided to join in the play. He leaned forward and picked up where his werewolf friend had left off, licking Drakkaras' face, rather close to her mouth. "Not you too Padfoot! I swear, you two are worse pranksters as canines than you are as men. Remy, did the potion work like I said it would? Are you in full control in there?" She addressed the huge wolf in a serious tone.

Moony gave a distinct nod of his head and leapt off the bed. He went to the closed bedroom door and pawed at it, as if asking to be let out. Padfoot joined his fellow canine a moment later and both whined pleadingly at the woman while giving her their best puppy dog eyes. "Alright, I'm coming. I'm trusting you two to behave tonight. If Zephyr and Crookshanks come down, you will refrain from acting like a pair of ordinary dogs and chasing them understood?" She warned teasingly, shaking a finger at the large canines who barked their annoyance and pawed the door again.

Drakkara opened the door and led the two canines down the hall where she had to stop and remove the wards and locking charms she'd placed earlier. They proceeded down to the sitting room and the woman opened the sitting room door. "Everyone ready to meet Moony?" She asked.

Receiving nods from the assembled teens and adults, she opened the door wider and allowed the canine duo in. "May I present my dear friends, the infamous Messrs. Moony and Padfoot." She said, giving a dramatic bow towards the wolf and dog.

All except two of the rooms' occupants smiled warmly at the ferocious looking canines that were in fact two of their friends. The exceptions were the pair of identical twins who were gaping with wide eyes between the woman, wolf, and dog. "Moony?" one whispered, quickly followed by his twin with an awed, "Padfoot?"

The violet-eyed woman raised an eyebrow at Moony and Padfoot, who were doing their best to return her look with one that said 'Now look what you've done.' She turned to the twins and said, "You mean no one ever told you that these two mutts," she gestured towards the canine duo, "Are the last remaining Marauders?"

The twins shook their heads and gave Moony and Padfoot identical hurt looks before turning back to Drakkara. "The last of the Marauders? What happened to the other two? Who were they?"

Drakkara walked over and sat down beside Harry on a large couch. Moony and Padfoot followed quickly and curled up with their family as Drakkara gave the twins a quick run down of their prankster idols. "Prongs was Harrys' father James, his animagus form was a stag, which is how he got his nickname. Wormtail is still alive, and you spent quite a few years with the damned rat living in your home. Wormtail is Peter Pettigrew, the man who betrayed James and Lily and framed Sirius for their murders. You knew him as Rons' pet rat Scabbers."

The twins didn't quite know what to say. They'd met two of their idols, had been living with the men for about three weeks. Without having heard Drakkaras' explanation of what happened to the other half of the foursome, the redheads would've been overjoyed, but hearing that one Marauder was dead and the other had turned traitor and sent a dark lord after his best friend put a pall over their enthusiasm. Still, they wouldn't pass up the opportunity to formally greet their remaining idols and cautiously approached the huge canines to pet them gently and jokingly shake their paws.

After the twins had returned to their seats, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny came forward to take a turn petting Padfoot and Moony, alleviating their slight fear of the huge wolf that was a large part of their friend and professors' life. Molly and Arthur chose not to pet the huge wolf, not out of fear, but rather the knowledge that come sunrise, the wolf would return to the human form of their friend.

Once everyone was settled down and had their snacks and drinks close at hand; Drakkara stood up and placed the first movie in the DVD player. She'd decided to appeal to the groups' playful and humorous natures and chosen some light-hearted comedies for them to watch. After sliding the DVD into the player and taking control of the remote, she went back to the couch and sat between Harry and Moony. Resting one arm over the teens shoulders and petting the werewolf with her free hand after he laid his head and upper body in her lap, she pressed the play button and settled back to enjoy a quiet evening with her family and friends.


	11. Chapter 10

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents Author: Sinayah ****

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG 13 for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 10

After the night of Remus' transformation, the remaining three weeks until school began seemed to fly by. The teens made the most of their free time, Hermione and Ginny mostly by reading and studying, making frequent use of Drakkaras' library. Harry spent his time watching movies with Ron and the twins, or when they were available, spending time with his godparents and professor.

Once Remus had transformed back and declared the potion a complete success when he had no trouble getting up and going about his usual routine the next day, he and Drakkara had settled down to write their lesson plans for the coming school year. An arduous task as it turned out due to the students having had a variety of incompetent teachers in the past. After consulting with the teens, who represented fourth, fifth, and seventh year respectively, they realized they had a lot to do in order to prepare all but the first years for their final exams, OWL's, and NEWT's. 

Sirius proved to be a great help in making the plans, his imaginative mind coming up with several spells that would be both fun and useful for the students to know. During an Order meeting, Dumbledore had informed the trio that he thought it would be best if Sirius remained at headquarters after everyone had left, an idea that had been vehemently rejected by all three of them.

After a great deal of argument on their part, Drakkara, Remus, and Sirius had won the escaped convict the right to go to Hogwarts with them. They would have Sirius transform into Padfoot and then place an unbreakable glamour over the canine, and pass him off as Drakkaras' lovable dog Snuffles. Dumbledore had at first objected to their plan, claiming that even strong glamour's and concealing charms could be broken, but Drakkara soon proved him wrong by informing him that she herself had a glamour charm on a portion of her face and offered the Headmaster the opportunity to try to break it. When it turned out that Albus couldn't even detect the charm, let alone break it, he'd conceded to their wishes.

* * * * * * * * * *

Two days before they were due to leave for Hogwarts, the group made their annual trip to Diagon Alley. Drakkara placed the proper spells on Sirius to change his animagus form from a huge grim-like dog, to a solid black Great Dane, and the animagus was allowed to accompany them into the wizarding shopping district.

In the hidden Alley, the group split up to make the shopping faster. Molly took her brood, accompanied by Tonks, who was determined not to miss this shopping trip as she had the last one. Remus, Drakkara, and Snuffles took charge of Harry and Hermione.

People on the street pointed at them and spoke in whispers when they saw Harry Potter walking around with Drakkara Vanimaer and the known werewolf Remus Lupin, not to mention the muggleborn witch and large black dog. It was obvious that while he was used to it, the attention made Harry uncomfortable and he stuck close to his godmothers' side, trying to pretend it was only her the people were staring at.

Drakkara, who didn't give a fig if people stared at her, but became angry when Harry was made uncomfortable, pulled the group into the space between two shops and cast a mild Notice-Me-Not spell around them so that they could shop in peace. The spell worked well, and from that point on the only people who took notice of the group were people who actually knew one of them.

They visited the usual shops, Madam Malkins, Flourish and Blott's, the apothecary, the stationery shop, and the Magical Menagerie for owl treats, catnip, and a perch and tank for Siranev. After finishing their shopping with a trip to Quality Quidditch Supplies, the group headed toward Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor where they had planned to meet their friends and enjoy a treat before heading home.

Harry was just idly looking around as they walked when he saw something he found utterly hilarious. He stopped suddenly and started giggling like mad, bringing the attention of his family and friend to him. "Oh Merlin 'Mione, look over there! I didn't think their fathers came as a set too!" He exclaimed, pointing to a group that was walking toward them.

Hermione and the adults looked to where Harry was pointing and began to laugh with the teen. The group he had spotted was composed of none other than the Crabbes, Goyles, and Malfoys, both generations. In the lead were the elders, with Lucius Malfoy being flanked by the elder Crabbe and Goyle. Trailing two steps behind and one step to the right as was considered proper in pureblood families, were Draco Malfoy and his bookends Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, walking in the same formation as their fathers.

Thankfully, the three Death Eaters and their sons turned off onto a side street before they spotted Harry, Drakkara, and their companions. None of the three adults wanted to confront Voldemorts minions, at least not while they had Harry and Hermione with them. Though if it hadn't been for the presence of the teens, they might have at least tailed the three Death Eaters to see what, if anything, they were up to.

The group waited where they had stopped for a few moments, making sure the other group wasn't going to come back onto the main street, then proceeded on their way. They met with the Weasleys and Tonks at the ice cream parlor and bought everyone the dessert of their choice, then sat at one of the large outdoor tables to eat. Drakkara and Remus quietly informed Molly and Tonks of the Death Eaters in the Alley, and the adults made sure to seat themselves so that the children were furthest from the street, out of harms way.

When they got home, Molly and Drakkara kept watch on the teens as they packed up their school things, leaving only the clothes they planned to wear the next two days out of their trunks. With such a large group of teenagers to escort to the station, neither of the women wanted to be rushed due to the chaotic pandemonium that would reign on September first if they left the teens to pack on their own.

* * * * * * * * * *

The morning of September first dawned bright and clear, and for the first time since her arrival at Grimmauld Place; Drakkara was up and about before Molly. The raven-haired woman awoke at six thirty in the morning, which she thought was an absolutely ungodly hour to be awake unless you had to be. Unfortunately, this day warranted the early awakening. 

Leaving her tawny-haired mate asleep in their bed, Drakkara put on her robe and slippers and left the bedroom silently. Down in the kitchen, she set about using her very basic knowledge of cooking to get breakfast for the adults started. She made a large pot of coffee easily, and sipped at a cup while she clumsily scrambled eggs and fried bacon and sausages. 

Just as she finished serving up plates of food for herself, Remus, Sirius, Molly, and Arthur, the redheaded woman came through the door, yawning widely. When Molly saw that half her work was already done and just waiting for people to eat it, she gave Drakkara a wide smile. "My goodness Kara, I didn't expect you up and about this early. Thank you for starting breakfast, it looks wonderful."

"Not half as good as yours Molly, but I was up anyway and decided you deserved at least a partial break so I took care of our breakfast at least. Why don't you sit down and have some coffee and your breakfast. I'll run up and get the lazy bums." Drakkara replied, smiling back at the woman who'd become a good friend to her over the last month.

The older woman gave a grateful nod and went over to the coffeepot as her younger friend left the kitchen to fetch Arthur, Sirius and Remus. The raven-haired woman reappeared a few minutes later with Arthur, both of them giggling behind their hands. Molly gave the pair a raised eyebrow and asked, "Alright, what has the two of you giggling. By the looks on your faces I'd say you'd just pulled some ridiculous prank, you quite resemble Fred and George."

Arthur could only nod his head in agreement to his wife's assessment of the situation. After he'd calmed himself a little, he managed to explain. "Kara woke me up first and I offered to help her wake Remus and Sirius. Those two sleep like the dead Molly, we tried everything! She even cast a sonorous and yelled in their faces, all they did was roll over and pull their pillows over their ears. She finally got fed up and set her snakes on them. When we came down, we could hear Remus and Sirius cursing their heads off."

Molly joined her husband in another short fit of giggles, after which the three of them began to eat their breakfast. About five minutes later they were joined by the other two adults, sporting twin expressions of annoyance and matching bulges around one of their thighs under their pajama pants. "Drakkara Vanimaer, will you order those damned snakes of yours to get off us?" Remus growled, snatching up a cup of coffee and draining it in a few gulps.

Drakkara grinned over at Molly and Arthur. "Gives new meaning to the term 'trouser snake' doesn't it?" She asked innocently, causing the red haired couple to burst out laughing again. After allowing herself a few giggles at her own joke, she complied with her mates' request and hissed to her familiars. Vrisan and Narasi slithered back down the men's legs and across the floor where their companion lifted them up so that they could move up her arms to coil around her biceps.

Once Sirius and Remus had gotten enough caffeine in them to realize their friend had done them a favor by making sure they got up early enough to avoid the stampede of teenagers that would be thundering around the house in an hour, they thanked Drakkara for waking them, and begged that she never use her familiars as alarm clocks again. After they'd finished eating, Molly shooed them out of the kitchen so that she could make breakfast for the teens.

While the other adults showered, Molly went about making breakfast for the teens and went upstairs to start waking them. Ginny, Hermione, and Harry were easily awoken and made a dash for the three showers on their floor before Ron and the twins could beat them to it. By the time the first three finished showering and dressing for their return to school, the Weasley boys were wandering around half asleep and waiting for their turn.

Soon enough everyone was gathered in the kitchen again, the adults sipping their coffee as the teens inhaled their breakfast. It was eight o'clock by the time everyone had finished eating and the kitchen was restored to order. The next two hours were occupied with last minute details such as misplaced homework assignments, packing of worn clothes, and chasing down and caging the teen's familiars.

At a quarter past ten, Molly and Drakkara had all the teens assemble in the entrance hall with their trunks and familiars. "Alright guys, time to go. Does everyone have everything?" Drakkara asked, mentally checking off her own luggage and familiars.

Remus and Arthur would be apparating the luggage, cats, and owls directly to Kings Cross Station, leaving Molly, Drakkara, and the doubly disguised Sirius to walk there with the children. The train station was only a fifteen-minute walk from Grimmauld Place and no one was worried about arriving late. Snuffles, the Great Dane, had to submit to a collar and leash for the walk, but Sirius took the restraint with humor.

The two women, six teenagers, and large dog walked casually out of their summer home and down the street, leaving Remus and Arthur to deal with the many trunks and cages. They made the short trip in good time and stepped through the barrier to Platform nine and three quarters with fifteen minutes to spare before the train left. Arthur and Remus met them just beyond the barrier and while the teens loaded their trunks into the baggage car and got on the train with just three knapsacks holding their school robes and their familiars, the adults took a few minutes for a final chat.

"Kara-love, you're sure you don't want me to come on the train with you? You realize you're going to be the only adult on the train right? Well besides Snuffles, but does he really count?" Remus asked, a bit worried for his mate.

Drakkara nodded and patted her disguised friend on his head. "We'll be fine Remy. Besides, it'll be greatly appreciated when I'm able to go straight to bed tonight without worrying about unpacking and setting up our office."

The four adults continued to talk until the five-minute warning bell sounded from the train. The teens came out and said a heartfelt good-bye to the Weasley parents, and Drakkara, Remus, Molly, and Arthur said their good-byes. With three minutes until the train left, Molly, Arthur, and Remus disapparated, leaving Drakkara and Sirius with their charges.

As Drakkara ushered the teens back onto the train, she felt a slight weight settle on her shoulder and startled a bit. Looking at her shoulder from the corner of her eye, she saw a blue jay perched there with a letter in its beak and breathed a short sigh of relief. "Hello Cobalt, is that for me?" She asked, reaching up for the letter.

The blue jay dropped the parchment into the womans hand, nipped affectionately at her ear and took wing again. Drakkara slid the letter into her purse to be opened in private and got onto the train, following her godson to the compartment he'd chosen, all the while wondering what had prompted her old school friend to come to her in animagus form.

* * * * * * * * * *

Both Ron and Hermione had been chosen as the Gryffindor fifth year prefects, so Harry, Drakkara, and Snuffles were left alone in their compartment for the first hour of the trip. Harry had let Crookshanks and Zephyr out of their baskets, and the two cats were curled up around the bulk that was Sirius new animagus form, all three fast asleep. The boy and his heart-mother were chatting away happily when Drakkara felt the first wave of motion sickness roll through her stomach. Only now did the raven-haired woman remember that she'd always gotten dreadfully sick during rides on the Hogwarts Express.

She quickly shook Sirius awake and with one hand clapped over her mouth, gestured for the animagus to watch over Harry. She then dashed out of the compartment and down the hall to the nearest bathroom. Harry turned to his godfather and said worriedly, "What's wrong with her? Is she okay?"

The Great Dane chuffed in canine laughter as he nodded his large head to indicate the Drakkara was fine. A few minutes later a much paler woman walked back into the compartment and plopped weakly onto the cushioned bench, leaning over to rest her head against Harrys' slender shoulder. "Ooh, why didn't I let Remy talk me into apparating? Damn it, I'm too old to get motion sickness from a bloody train ride." She complained, clutching her upset stomach.

Harry patted his godmothers' back a bit awkwardly and sympathetically asked her if there was anything he could do. "No, Sweetling. I'll conjure myself up some chamomile tea, that should help." She answered, pulling her wand from its wrist sheath and putting words to action. Soon she was leaning back against the bench sipping her tea while Harry enjoyed the glass of pumpkin juice she'd conjured for him.

Their compartment door was opened a few minutes later by a slightly pudgy boy with brown hair and eyes. The newcomer seemed relieved to find Harry in the compartment and greeted him warmly. "Hey Harry, how was your summer? Would you mind if I sat in here with you? All the other compartments are full of people I don't know."

"Sure Neville, come on in. Ama, this is my friend Neville Longbottom. Nev, this is my godmother Drakkara Vanimaer. She's gonna be our new DADA teacher along with Professor Lupin." Harry returned the greeting and introduced his housemate to the raven-haired woman.

Drakkara gestured for Snuffles and his feline friends to join she and Harry on their side of the compartment, leaving the other side open for Neville and Ron and Hermione when the two prefects joined them. "Pleased to meet you Neville. The big black mutt over here is Snuffles, one of my familiars. I know he looks a bit ferocious but I assure you he's just a great big baby." The violet-eyed woman greeted the boy.

Neville gave the woman a shy smile and glanced just a bit nervously at the dog. "Umm, nice to meet you Professor Vanimayere." He replied, making a royal mess of her surname.

The older woman smiled at the shy teen, ignoring the mispronunciation of her name, knowing she'd either have to shorten it or spend a small part of her first lessons teaching the students how to say her name. In truth, she preferred being called by her first name or nickname, but it wouldn't be appropriate in classes. As the boys talked about their summer, Drakkara leaned back and closed her eyes, dozing off a bit from the mild sedative of the tea she'd used to calm her stomach.

She was nearly asleep when the compartment door opened again, whoever had opened it earning a groan from Neville and a mild curse from Harry. Her violet-eyes blinked open to reveal the newcomers as Draco Malfoy and his apelike bodyguards Crabbe and Goyle. "Well, well, if it isn't Potty and the plant loving squib. Where are your pet Weasel and Mudblood Potter, did you finally trade up for the mutt and its owner? At least your new girlfriend seems to know how to dress properly." The silver blonde boy sneered.

Harry was seething, Neville had hung his head, and Sirius was growling by the time that Draco had finished his little speech. "Hmm, I always knew you'd turn out to be an exact replica of Lucius Mr. Malfoy, but couldn't you have made at least a small effort not to act like the pompous arse as well? I know your mother must have at least tried to teach you better." Drakkara stated, her tone as cold as ice and her sneer twice as disgusted as the silver-eyed boys'.

Draco startled at the icy toned voice, not expecting such a venomous insult from anyone in this compartment. His silver-gray eyes reassessed the strange woman. At first he'd thought her simply an older girl, perhaps a transfer student. Now, upon his second glance the teen realized that the raven-haired girl was in fact a woman, possibly his mothers' age. 

Inwardly cursing himself for his blunder, realizing that this woman was quite probably his new DADA teacher and he'd just insulted several of his fellow students in front of her, he set out to rectify the situation. "My apologies Madam, for my childishness and use of rude language in your presence. May I ask your name?" He said with utmost politeness.

Drakkara raised a single eyebrow as she replied coldly. "I see Narcissas' manners only take effect when you find yourself in trouble, such a shame. My name, Mr. Malfoy, is Professor Drakkara Vanimaer. Now, I suggest you turn your insincere apologies on those you truly insulted, rather than myself, and then take yourself and your bookends off to another compartment."

As the beautiful dark haired, bright-eyed woman waited, Draco gulped and turned his pale, aristocratic face towards Harry and Neville. "Uh, sorry." He muttered, eyes cast downward in embarrassment. Draco left the compartment, shutting the door behind him. As the Slytherin boy fled, he cast his silver gray eyes on Harry, and the raven-haired Gryffindor could've sworn he saw sincere apology and longing in his rivals' eyes.

Things seemed to calm down after the arrival and departure of Draco Malfoy and his guards. Ron and Hermione joined the woman and two boys in their compartment shortly after the Slytherins left, and the teens passed the ride talking and laughing over their summer adventures. 

About an hour before the train reached Hogsmeade Station, Drakkara remembered the letter that had been delivered to her in London by Cobalt, Narcissa Black-Malfoys' animagus form. She excused herself from the noisy compartment and locked herself in the nearest bathroom for some privacy. She removed the letter from her purse and sat down on the toilet to read it.

__

"My Dearest Friend,

First allow me to say that I have never been so happy as I was the day Lucius came home ranting that you were alive. I've kept the newspaper clipping with your photo close to me since it was delivered. Drakkara, I feel I need to warn you, warn you and at the same time beg a favor of you. Watch out for my son Drakkara, Lucius is grooming Draco to take the Dark Mark next summer, on his sixteenth birthday. Draco may be asked to make an attempt on you to prove his loyalty to the cause. 

The favor I'm asking for is this. Watch out for Draco Kara, but also watch over him. I do not believe the life of a Death Eater is what my son wants for himself, but he sees no other option. Draco is the only joy in my life my friend, if you can save him from becoming his father, I beg you to do so, in memory of our friendship if for no other reason. 

I am surrounded by darkness Kara, not by choice, but by the will of my parents when I was just a child. I fear there is no hope of escape for me, so I entrust you, my only remaining friend, with the safety of my child. Please take care of him Kara; lead him into the light.

Friends Always, In Life and Death, Come Light or Dark,

Narcissa Black Malfoy"

Drakkara read the letter from her friend over and over, one thought going through her mind. "How in the nine hells am I going to save Draco? Can I save you as well Narcissa?" She said quietly, refolding the letter and depositing it in her purse.

* * * * * * * * * *

The rest of the train ride passed quietly. Drakkara rejoined Harry and his friends in their compartment, and she talked with them a bit, discretely asking a few questions about the state of the house rivalry in general and Draco Malfoy in particular. She found the situation between the houses much the same as it had been in her own years and was not pleased. Drakkara decided she would have to make a point of visiting her old house after the feast and talking with Severus for a more in-depth view of the politics going on within the Serpents Lair.

Getting off the train in Hogsmeade was an adventure in chaos, just as Drakkara remembered. The only thing different, she noted as she looked around was that there was no Hagrid holding his lantern and calling for the first years. Instead there was a woman about Mollys' age attempting to look dignified as she yelled at the top of her voice for the Hogwarts newcomers. She kept her eyes fixed on the children in front of her as they walked toward the carriages, occasionally taking hold of Nevilles' robe when the boy wandered away unintentionally. 

Suddenly, just in front of her, Harry stopped in his tracks; his eyes fixed on the front end of one of the carriages. 'Oh crap, we completely forgot to tell him about those.' Drakkara mentally slapped herself upside the head, realizing that her godson was confused and frightened at the sight of the thestrals. She slipped around the boy until she was facing him and knelt down so that she could look into his eyes easier.

Drakkara turned the boys face away from the skeletal, black, winged horses until his emerald eyes gazed into her own violet. "You can see the horses can't you Harry-love?" She said quietly so that no one but Harry could hear her.

"What are they Ama? Are they some new pets of Hagrids? How come no one else acts like they're there?" Harry asked, his tone confused and just a bit frightened.

The raven-haired woman stood and placed her arm around the teens' slender shoulders, walking him toward the carriage where Ron, Hermione, and Neville were waiting. She led him around the front to face the thestrals. She murmured in her native language to the horribly beautiful creatures and stroked the head of one of the lead ones. "They're thestrals Sweetling. They've been pulling the carriages for many years. The reason no one else acts like they can see them is because they can't, like you couldn't before now. A thestral can only be seen by a person who has first seen death."

Harry looked up at her with saddened green eyes, remembering Cedrics' death, knowing it was the reason he could see the creatures now. Drakkara lead him away from the thestrals to the open door of the carriage. As she was about to get in and explain more about the winged horses, Fawkes appeared in a flash of fire just beside her. "Drakkara, my chosen requests your presence in his office urgently." The phoenix trilled, landing on her shoulder.

"What's so urgent Fawkes? Harry is a bit upset right now; I should be with him. We all forgot to mention that he would be able to see the thestrals now." The raven-haired woman replied, trying to make it look as if she were talking to Harry and the other teens rather than the bird on her shoulder.

The phoenix gave Harry a saddened gaze, and trilled at Drakkara again. "In any other circumstances I would leave you with Harry, but Albus needs you. Minister Fudge and one of his associates are in his office, trying to foist a new professor for History of Magic on him. He needs your support, as well as Remus, Severus, Filius, and Minerva, who are all in the office at the moment."

Drakkara cursed under her breath in several different languages. "Harry-love, I have to go with Fawkes, the headmaster needs me. Wait in your common room after the feast and I'll come up to see you okay?"

"Okay Ama. Good luck with whatever Professor Dumbledore needs you for." The teen replied, giving his godmothers' hand a squeeze as he climbed into the carriage with his friends. 

The raven-haired woman called to the thestrals in Quenya and they started pulling the carriage toward Hogwarts. Then she grasped Snuffles' collar and disapparated, using an illusion of fire to make it look as if the phoenix had made it happen. She reappeared just outside the door of Albus' office and knocked, hearing the raised voices on the other side of the door cease at the noise. "Please come in Drakkara." She heard the headmaster call.

Drakkara entered the room with Snuffles at her side, Fawkes on her shoulder, and Vrisan and Narasi in plain view around her neck and waist. The rooms' occupants, especially the Minister, gaped at the sight she made. Dressed from head to toe in her former house colors of black, green, and silver, with her canine and serpentine familiars guarding her, and the headmasters' phoenix perched on her shoulder, Professor Vanimaer was an intimidating sight.

"Good evening everyone. Albus, I've just seen the boats and carriages off from the station as you asked. They'll be here soon so we'll want to adjourn to the Great Hall in a few moments." Drakkara stated, making it seem as if she'd been near the castle for a while rather than having just arrived with the students.

The headmaster twinkled happily at his young friend and replied, "Yes, of course Drakkara dear. We were just having a bit of a discussion with Cornelius and Miss Umbridge here." He turned his wizened face on the Minister and his lackey. "Cornelius, I don't believe you've had the pleasure of meeting Professor Vanimaer since her return."

The pompous windbag, otherwise known as Cornelius Fudge, nodded his head in acknowledgement of the woman while his female toady, and what an apt description that was, openly scowled at her. "No, I don't believe I have. A pleasure to meet you Ms. Vanimaer." The Minister turned back to the headmaster and continued his rant. "Now Dumbledore, about your lack of professor for the History of Magic course. Surely you can see that a ghost does not count as a qualified professor."

Albus hid his frown behind his beard. "Cornelius, Professor Binns has been teaching History of Magic since before my time as headmaster here and has done an exemplary job, despite his lack of physical body. I believe you yourself took the course under his tutelage did you not?"

The Minister was forced to nod in agreement. Everyone in the room with the exception of Albus and Filius Flitwick had taken History of Magic with Professor Binns. As Fudge was about to start ranting about the ghost not counting as a qualified teacher again Drakkara interjected. "Might I make a few comments Albus, Minister? Thank you." She said, not waiting for either mans permission. "As I see it, you Minister Fudge, would like Albus and the rest of us to accept a new teacher for the History of Magic post. I don't believe you have the power to force our esteemed Headmaster to do this. The Educational decree you passed last month only gave you the power to appoint a teacher to any post left unfilled by the start of term. The same teacher has filled the History of Magic post for the past one hundred years. It is not available, nor do I see it becoming available until Professor Binns tires of teaching it."

Professor Dumbledore gave his young friend a smile and twinkled at her again. "Quite right Drakkara, quite right." He nodded at the woman and turned back to the Minister. "As my new Defense Mistress has so efficiently summed up, we have no need of a History professor. Nor, according to your own decree, do you have the power to appoint a teacher to an already filled position. Now, if you will excuse us Cornelius, Miss Umbridge, the staff and I have to prepare to greet the students."

Albus gestured toward the fireplace. Fudge was becoming more red-faced by the second and Miss Umbridge looked to be about to open her mouth in protest. Drakkara made a slight motion with her hand and the fireplace lit up. A raised eyebrow at Remus and Severus and a nod in the Ministers direction, had the werewolf and potions master gliding forward to take Cornelius by the arms and gently but firmly guide him towards the fire.

Filius Flitwick, who was standing near the fireplace, took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the flames. With a small shove, Minister Fudge was in the middle of the green fire and the tiny Charms professor squeaked, "Ministry of Magic!" Everyone held back a chuckle at the Ministers' astonished face as he disappeared through the floo network.

Drakkara turned her violet gaze on the short, stumpy, toad-like woman who still remained, fuming and greatly shocked at seeing the Minister of Magic manhandled into the floo and away. "Well Miss Umbridge, would you like for Severus and Remus to escort you out as well? We staff members have many things to do this evening and your presence is no longer required."

Remus and Severus took a few steps in the womans direction, nearly identical smirks on their faces and Professor Flitwick readied the floo for another passenger. Delores Umbridge looked around the room at the array of smirks and glaring eyes on the faces of the Hogwarts senior staff members and ran for the green flames as fast as her stumpy legs could carry her. "Ministry of Magic!" She yelled, and disappeared from the Headmasters office, leaving her girly bright pink hair bow behind in her haste.

Drakkara turned her gaze on the Headmaster and asked, "Is that what you had in mind when you sent Fawkes to me Albus? As I said earlier, we should all get down to the Great Hall, the children will be arriving in just a few moments. Minerva, I think you'll want to meet whoever that woman was that brought the first years across as soon as they get here, she was looking a bit harried."

The Headmaster openly laughed at Drakkaras' question. "Not quite my dear, but I must say, your way worked much better than presenting our arguments over and over. Now, we'd best get to work. Minerva, if you would go down to greet Professor Grubbly-Plank and the first years, the rest of us will adjourn to the Great Hall."

Minerva walked out of the office, greeting Drakkara as she passed. Albus took the Sorting Hat from its place on one of the shelves, and the Professors followed him out, Drakkara pausing to send Fawkes off to his perch. As the group trooped down the hall, Drakkara joined Remus and looped her arm through his. "And how was your day Remy-love? You could have reminded me that I get motion sick on the train you know." She said jokingly to her mate.

Remus burst out laughing as he remembered the womans small problem with the Hogwarts Express and replied, "My day was rather boring. Our office and classroom are set up, as is the suite of rooms Albus prepared for us." He leaned down slightly to pat Snuffles on the head as he spoke of their rooms, indicating that there was a room for Sirius as well.

They entered the Great Hall, and took their seats. Drakkara found herself sitting between Remus and Severus, the potions master next to the Headmaster. Sirius greatly objected to being seated so close to his arch rival, and showed it by barking and growling at the Head of Slytherin. "Couldn't you have made him a poodle instead Drakkara, or perhaps one of those Chihuahua things?" Severus asked quietly as the raven-haired woman shushed Sirius with a light smack on his head.

The woman laughed, "Severus, do I really look the type to be seen with a dog that was anything less than huge and intimidating?" Leaning down towards Snuffles she whispered, "If you're so upset at the seating arrangements, go sit between Remy and Professor Sinistra."

The animagus took her suggestion and moved over to sit at his best friends' feet, wagging his tail when Remus petted his head. Drakkara leaned toward her mate and asked where their rooms were so that she could find them later, also informing him that she needed to make a visit to Harry in the Gryffindor common room after the feast and explain more about thestrals to the teen.

Before Remus could respond, the returning students began filing into the Hall. Drakkara and Remus both kept an eye out for the Gryffindor trio, anxious to see how Harry was. When she spotted her godson, Drakkara gave a smile of relief. Harry was smiling and talking with his friends as they made their way to their house table. The bespectacled teen caught his heart-mothers' eyes and gave her a smile, along with a wave of happiness through their bond, earning a wide smile from the woman in return.

It took about ten minutes for all the students to enter and be seated. Once they were calmed down a bit, Minerva came striding into the hall, followed by the new group of first years. The Deputy Headmistress went through the sorting in an efficient manner, which everyone was thankful for, and Albus waved his hands to begin the feast.

Once the childrens stomachs had been completely filled with the wonderful culinary efforts of the house elves, the Headmaster stood to address his charges. "Welcome to Hogwarts, and for those of you who are returning, welcome back. The start of term notices are quite the same as last year. The Forbidden Forest, is just that, Forbidden. Mr. Filch has asked me to inform you that using magic in the corridors between classes is also strictly forbidden. For those of you who haven't noticed, we have three new or returning professors this year."

Albus turned to the row beside him where Drakkara and Remus sat near him, and a bit further down where Professor Grubbly-Plank was sitting. "First, returning as a substitute for our first weeks of school, Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be teaching Care of Magical Creatures until Hagrid returns." He gestured for the older woman to rise for a moment, which she did, and then he continued.

"This year, we have two professors for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin had returned to us, along with his dear friend and former classmate, Professor Vanimaer. We are all very lucky to have obtained the services of Professors Lupin and Vanimaer, as the knowledge they will impart to you is necessary for your survival in the dark times ahead of us." He gestured for Drakkara and Remus to rise, and they stood up to much applause from the Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw tables.

Soon after the introductions, Albus dismissed the students, under the supervision of the prefects, to their rooms. Drakkara managed to have a quiet word with Remus, who informed her that their suite of rooms were located in a disused tower just behind their classroom and could be accessed from their office. She sent Remus off with a kiss on the cheek and told Snuffles to go with the werewolf. Telling her mate that she would join them in an hour or so, Drakkara left the hall on her way to the Gryffindor common room.

* * * * * * * * * *

Walking alone through the corridors, using her memory of the castle to guide her, Drakkara found herself in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady after only a few wrong turns. "Good evening Opheria, how have you been?" She addressed the pink-clad woman in the portrait.

"My goodness! If it isn't Drakkara Vanimaer! I'd heard from some of the others that you were back, Phineas made a point of informing all of us that one of his favorite Slytherins had returned. I assume you'd like to enter the common room?" The portrait replied, smiling at the one Slytherin she'd always liked.

Drakkara nodded. "If it wouldn't be too much trouble Opheria. My godson, Harry Potter, is one of your charges and I need to speak with him. I don't have any of the passwords yet, I came on the train with the students, but if you could inform Harry that I'm out here it would be most appreciated."

The Fat Lady disappeared from her frame for a minute, but was soon back and informed Drakkara that Harry was on his way to open the portrait hole for her. Just she was thanking the portrait; it opened outward, nearly smacking the violet-eyed woman in the nose. "Hey Ama, come on in, if you don't think the Ghost of Godric Gryffindor will strike you dead for entering his territory." Harry called from just inside the opening.

"It would be far more likely that the ghost of Salazar Slytherin would rise up and strike me dead for associating with Gryffindors, but since it hasn't happened yet, I think I'm fairly safe." She responded, ducking her head and climbing through the portrait hole. 

Once through the hole, Drakkara stood to her full six-foot height and surveyed the large, predominantly red and gold room. She'd been a frequent visitor to the Gryffindor common room in her youth, and had some truly wonderful memories of the Lions Den. "Whoa, talk about a stroll down memory lane." She said, glancing down at the teen.

There were several teens gathered in the common room, eyeing the new professor warily. She recognized Hermione, Neville, and the four Weasleys, but didn't particularly enjoy the gazes of the others. "Why don't you introduce me about Sweetling, your housemates are trying to give me the evil eye." Drakkara said, sliding her arm around the teen's shoulders.

"Oy guys! Come over and meet my godmum!" Harry called loudly, gathering the attention of his fellow Gryffindors. The teens gathered around their housemate and he introduced them to the raven-haired professor. "Ama, these are my dorm mates, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan, you already know Neville and Ron. The others are my Quidditch teammates and Hermiones' roommates. Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Angelina Johnson are the chasers, and Lee Jordan over there is the announcer. The other two girls are Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Guys, this is my godmum, Drakkara Vanimaer, better known as our new DADA professor."

Drakkara nodded at the group of teens. "It's a pleasure to meet all of you. Harry and the others have told me a lot about you this summer. I look forward to seeing you in my classes. For now though, Harry and I need to have a bit of a private chat. Shall we go up to your dorm Harry?"

The raven-haired teen led his godmother up to the fifth-year boy's dorm and sat down with her on his bed. The woman and boy spoke for a long while, about the thestrals and how Harry came to be able to see them. Drakkara told the boy how to gain access to her suite if he should have another vision, and promised to see about getting a floo connection set up between the common room and hers. 

When she was ready to leave, Drakkara turned to Harry and said, "Sweetling, from here on out, unless we're in private, you need to start calling me Professor Vanimaer like everyone else. Remember that especially in class, you're just another of my students. Remus and I can't treat you any differently just because we consider you family and love you as a son. Are you going to be okay with that?"

Harry looked saddened, but nodded his agreement. "I know you guys can't treat me different than the others, and I'll get used to it. It's still okay for me to call you by your first names in private though right?" He asked, a bit anxiously.

Drakkara sent a wave of love, comfort, and admiration over their bond. "I wouldn't have it any other way. In class and in public I'm your professor, but in private I'm still your Ama. I better get going Sweetling; I need to make one more stop before I go up to bed. I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast alright?"

The teen agreed and walked back down to the common room with her. The gathering of teens had thinned somewhat, until only those who'd spent the summer at Grimmauld Place were left in the common room. Before she could go, the teens insisted on a round of good night hugs, and it was about five minutes before she was able to close Lady Opherias' portrait behind her, say good-night to the tower guardian, and start her way down to the dungeons.

The path from Gryffindor Tower to the Slytherin Dungeon was far more familiar to Drakkara than the one from the Great Hall to the Tower and she made her way down into the cool recesses of her home territory easily. There was no portrait guarding the entrance to the Slytherin dorms. Rather, the stones at the end of one particular corridor were shaped into a tangle of serpents. Not knowing any of the teachers' passwords didn't hinder her here as it had at the Fat Lady's portrait either.

"Allow the Serpent Speaker passage to her Lair." Drakkara hissed in Parseltongue to the tangle of stone snakes. 'Trust old Salazar to give access to his territory to any Parselmouth who turned up at the castle.' She thought as the serpents untangled to form an archway into the Slytherin common room.

As she had figured, Drakkara found Severus Snape carrying on the tradition of giving a speech to his new and returning Slytherins. "Good evening Severus, I hope you don't mind my interruption but I couldn't go up to my suite without paying a visit to my old house."

The assembled students suppressed their surprise that the new DADA professor was a former Slytherin. "Not at all Drakkara, I would have been disappointed in you if you hadn't made an appearance. Would you care to say a few words to the students? I dare say you might recognize the children of some of our former classmates." The greasy-haired man said.

Drakkara nodded, "Thank you Severus, I think I will." She turned to the assembled students and spoke to them. "As your Head of House stated, I do recognize quite a few faces among you from my own years as a Slytherin. Ms. Bulstrode, Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Parkinson, Mr. Zabini, please give my regards to your parents when you write home."

"I'm afraid I didn't come here prepared with a speech for you, and yes I do realize that isn't very Slytherin of me. I'm sure Severus has already gone over the rules we live by in this house and the pride we take in being Serpents Children. Trust that everything Professor Snape says is the truth. Take pride in being Slytherins, for we are a noble house of cunning and ambitious people. We stand tall despite the ridicule we face from other houses, for we alone know the truth. To be a Slytherin is to be thought of as inherently evil and we are not. Slytherins live by their own code of honor, but it is honor all the same." Drakkara paused for breath, looking into the faces of her audience.

Her violet-eyes locked on the silver ones of Draco Malfoy as she continued. "That is the only thing I ask you to remember as you go about your lives as proud Slytherins. Despite what your classmates will say about you, Slytherins are honorable people. There is honor in ambition, and in being cunning. There is no honor however in ridiculing others for their lineage or the state of their Gringotts vaults. Go about this year with the honor of a true Slytherin. I look forward to seeing you all proving your mettle in my classes."

Finished, Drakkara nodded to Severus and stepped back to let him speak again. "I believe Professor Vanimaer has summed up my own speech quite well. Just as she and I and your parents before you have done, so are you expected to do. You are Slytherins, tried and true, I expect you to conduct yourselves with pride and honor in the coming year, and so bring honor upon our House. I bid you good-night." The potions master turned abruptly, black robes billowing behind him.

Severus crooked his left arm out to Drakkara and she glided across the floor to thread her right arm through the one he offered. With the sweeping, aristocratic grace only a supremely confident pair of Slytherin rulers could achieve, the Potions Master and Defense Mistress removed themselves from the presence of the children they hoped would one day follow in _their_ footsteps, rather than many of their parents.

Outside the Slytherin dorms, away from prying eyes and ears, the pair of adult Slytherins exchanged smirks over their acting job in front of the students. They loosed each other's arms and Drakkara asked, "Might I have a word in your office Severus?"

The potions master nodded and lead the way to the potions classroom and the connecting door to his office. Drakkara seated herself at the desk as her former classmate strode over to a small bar and poured himself a nightcap of brandy. When the same was offered to her, the raven-haired woman nodded and both were soon seated and semi-comfortably drinking their brandies. "Thank you Severus, you keep an excellent stock of brandy." Drakkara started.

"You're welcome. You gave quite a speech in the common room, one would almost believe you _weren't_ overly fond of Gryffindors." Severus replied in only a semi-sarcastic tone, as close as he could come to being friendly.

The woman acknowledged both his half compliment and attempt at not insulting her with a slight nod and half smile as she replied, "I wanted to ask you if you'd had time to review my book on stone powers. The full moon is in another week and a half; I plan to start brewing this month's batch of Lupins Hope tomorrow evening and was wondering if you'd care to learn it. If we're planning to use it as incentive to keep the werewolves away from the Dark Lord, it would help to have more than one person here who knows the process of making it."

The deep obsidian eyes of the potions master gleamed with anticipation, though he allowed no other sign of interest to pass his stony mask. "I've reviewed the text in my spare time over the last three weeks. I believe I can now identify some of the stones used in your potion, quite well done of you and indeed a great discovery for wizarding kind. I assume you would rather work in your private lab rather than the classroom?" He asked, his silky baritone voice even.

Drakkara nodded and tossed back the last swallow of brandy before replying. "It would be easier to use my lab as I have all the ingredients at hand. I plan on beginning just after dinner tomorrow evening, perhaps at seven o'clock. The initial steps for its preparation take about two hours. If you're available, your company would be welcome."

Severus acknowledged that he would come if he was available with a slight nod of his head. He knew that she would begin the process at seven whether he was there or not, and would not allow him entrance after she'd begun. She'd made the invitation, and she would not be likely to make it again, it was the Slytherin way. If he decided not to come tomorrow, he would have to be the one to ask the next month. Seeing as she had finished her brandy, he too drained his glass and stood to escort her to the door.

They parted in the hall, each to their own quarters, after exchanging wishes for a pleasant evening. Drakkara quickly made her way out of the dungeons and found the DADA corridor, at the end of which were the classroom, office, and beyond those the tower suite she would be sharing with Remus and Sirius for the next ten months.

Remus had done a good job on their classroom and office, she noted as she passed through both. The usually dreary rooms looked inviting and were a comfortable place for the children to learn. She noted, in the office, that their desks were placed facing outward in two directions from the far corner, the corners of the desks touching, with just enough space between the wall and the desks for them to get through. They could work easily together from this position, only needing to lean towards the other to see what they were doing or offer help.

With a small smile for the nicely arranged workspace, Drakkara found the door that would give access to her rooms and opened it with the muggle key Remus had handed her. Beyond the door was a winding staircase that led up two floors to the portrait that guarded their suite. 'Remus must have made a stop in the Marauders Lair for this.' Drakkara thought, grinning widely at the large portrait that stood as the door warden.

Of the Marauder group, Drakkara, Lily, and Narcissa, it was the blonde Slytherin who had a talent for art. Drakkara had given her roommate a mental picture of what she wanted in their sixth year, and Narcissa had painted the large portrait as a Christmas present to her friend. The portrait showed a sixteen year old Lily Evans, surrounded by the animagus forms of her friends. The young redhead was sitting on the grass near the Forbidden forest, leaning against the side of a huge stag. 

Tangled amidst one of the stag's antlers was a large predominantly black cobra, which was Drakkaras' animagus form, called Spectre. Perched upon the other antler was Cobalt, the large blue jay that was Narcissa. Lying over Lilys' lap was Padfoot, and sitting at the girls other side was Moony. At both Drakkara and Lilys' request, Narcissa had 'forgotten' to include Peter Pettigrew in his rat form, neither girl being overly fond of the boy. 

The portrait Lily moved, waving at her friend. "Hey Kara! Remy told me to just let you in, but for future reference the password is Forever. I won't keep you to talk tonight, you look worn out, but I expect you to spare some time for me soon okay?" The portrait asked before swinging outward to reveal the doorway behind it.

Drakkara stepped through the doorway into the suite she shared with Siri and Remy, and let her shoulders sag a little in exhaustion. Seeing the portrait of all her friends together was the last straw for her flagging energy and all she wanted was to curl up with the real life versions of her friends and go to sleep. She found the men relaxing in their living room, sitting together on one of the couches and looking at paperwork. 

Wearing nothing but their silk pajama pants, long midnight and tawny hair flowing over their bare shoulders, matching bejeweled gold hoops in their right ears, they were a picture of male perfection to Drakkara. "I am one lucky woman. Do you realize how gorgeous the pair of you are? Any woman would kill to be able to come home to you two every night." She complimented with a smile.

"And just where have you been Kara? You said you'd be home in an hour or so and it's been longer than that." Remus asked, leaning forward to put the paperwork on the coffee table.

With no obstacles now between the woman and her mates' lap, Drakkara glided toward the men and snuggled down into Remus' lap, putting her legs across Sirius'. She explained all that she'd done since their parting in the Great Hall, earning reproving head

shakes from both men. "You always try to do too much Kara. Going to see Harry I can understand, but did you really need to trek down to the dungeons to talk to the Slytherins and Snape?" Sirius asked in a mildly disgusted tone of voice, as if she'd stopped to visit with Filch or Peeves.

She placed her head down on Remus' shoulder and lifted one of Sirius' hands to play with his fingers as she spoke. "It wouldn't have mattered as much, to the students anyway, if it hadn't been tonight. If I'd gone down tomorrow or any other time, they'd wonder why I hadn't come sooner. Going down tonight let them know that I care enough about my house and its students to make myself known to them as a fellow Slytherin. As for Severus, I really do need to start the potion tomorrow and I was down there anyway so I stayed a little while longer to invite him up to watch. I think I'm just about finished for the day now, all I want to do is snuggle up in bed and sleep. Classes start in the morning and it wouldn't do for one of the DADA professors to be dragging herself around exhausted."

"Sounds reasonable to me. What say you Padfoot, want to curl up with us tonight? With one of us on either side of her, there's no way she can sneak out of bed and set Vrisan and Narasi on us again." Remus asked, shifting his arms under the tired woman and lifting her with him as he stood.

The animagus nodded his agreement to the plan, not really liking the idea of sleeping alone if he could settle down with his friends for the night. The trio went into the first bedroom and Remus let his mate out of his arms so that she could get into her trunk and change. She disappeared into the trunk and reappeared a few minutes later with her hair brushed out and wearing one of her silk sleep sets, this time in pale green.

Sirius and Remus were already in bed and had left the middle open for her. Drakkara crawled over Sirius, giving the raven-haired man an enticing view, and settled down under the covers with them. Remus turned on his side and spooned around the womans back, resting one heavy arm across her stomach. She in turn did the same to Sirius, entwining her fingers with his. With a softly spoken "Nox" Drakkara magically extinguished the lights and the trio laid quietly together in the dark, enjoying each other's company for a few minutes before drifting off to sleep.


	12. Chapter 11

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents Author: Sinayah ****

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG 13 for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 11

Of the trio snuggled together in bed, it was Remus who awoke first that morning. Sirius and Drakkara, upon hearing the alarm clock go off, had merely snuggled closer into each other to lessen the assault on their ears. Knowing that neither his mate, nor his best friend could function without coffee, the werewolf tried to get out of bed.

As he moved to get up, Remus found a hand firmly attached to his backside and unwilling to let go. Realizing the hand was a bit too large to be his mates', not to mention she was facing the wrong way, the tawny-haired man lifted one golden eyebrow in amusement. "Gonna have a talk about this later Padfoot old boy." He muttered, reaching back and firmly removing the other mans hand from his posterior.

Remus dropped the wandering hand as soon as he was out of reach and chuckled aloud when it found its way into its previous position, this time around Drakkaras' pert bottom. "Really gonna have to talk about this." As was to be expected from the sleeping man and woman, the only response Remus got to his statement was his mate nuzzling her face deeper into Sirius' pectoral muscles, and Sirius burying his face into Drakkaras' long hair.

Shaking his head, Remus opened the tenth chamber of his mates' trunk and went inside. In one of the rooms, he found a small kitchenette with a muggle style coffeemaker and the grounds, milk, and sugar to prepare the womans favorite morning beverage. Several minutes later, the werewolf levitated a tray with the pot of coffee, milk, sugar, and three cups up the ladder ahead of him and into the bedroom.

With the scent of freshly brewed coffee wafting around their noses, Sirius and Drakkara blearily opened their eyes and turned toward Remus, who was pouring himself a cup. "Ooh, coffee. Remy you are an angel. What time is it?" Drakkara asked, sitting up after casually removing Sirius' hand from her rump.

Leaving the animagus in bed, blushing faintly over his unconscious groping, the raven-haired woman stood and strolled over to sit beside her mate on the small couch in their bedroom, kissing the amber-eyed man lightly on the lips in greeting. "It's six-thirty Pretty Girl. Just enough time for us to have a cup of coffee, shower, and dress before breakfast starts." Remus answered her question before turning his amused face on the still blushing Sirius. "Oh get over it Padfoot, you only put your hand on her arse after I removed it from mine. Come over here and get some coffee." 

With his face as red as any Weasleys' hair, Sirius pushed the blankets off of himself and came over to join the couple, trying to recover his dignity by jokingly lifting Drakkara from her seat and sitting down in her place, reseating her in his lap. "Good morning my dears." He greeted both in a laughing tone.

Exchanging a look, Drakkara and Remus decided three could play this game and put down their cups to snuggle with their friend. The woman leaned in and kissed Sirius in a bit more than friendly way, then settled back down into his lap and watched her mate do the same, causing Sirius to splutter. The trio ended up all leaning against each other as their shared laughter overcame them, and finally calmed down enough to enjoy their coffee, Drakkara still sitting in the raven-haired mans lap.

With a full cup of caffeine in their systems, they retired to the two bedrooms for showers. Remus took his in the master bathroom connected to their bedroom, and Drakkara took hers in her trunk, the tenth chamber holding not just the lab, office, greenhouse, and hobby room but a fully equipped one bedroom apartment as well so that she could travel in perpetual comfort.

Refreshed from their showers, the trio met again in their common room to admire each other's clothing before heading down to the Great Hall. Sirius was dressed ultra-casually in black jeans and a navy blue tee shirt since he would be walking around in his animagus form all day, though the casual clothing didn't diminish his dramatic good looks in the slightest.

Remus had chosen his favorite of the outfits Hermione had chosen during their shopping trip, the green silk shirt and tan suede pants with their coordinating belt and boots. He'd thrown on a loose robe in the same tan of his trousers, with a moss green border of runes around the hem, collar, and cuffs. With his honey brown hair loose and flowing down past his collar, waving slightly back from his right ear to show off his earring, Remus looked quite handsome.

Drakkara herself had chosen a silvery gray ankle length skirt that flowed around her legs, and a long sleeved, tightly fitted, scoop-necked blouse in burgundy. Her familiars were coiled around her neck and waist in place of a necklace and belt, giving the woman an exotic look. She'd pulled her long black hair into a heavy french twist at the back of her head, and held it there with a pair of garnet studded gold combs. She was wearing the pair of earrings that matched the ones Sirius and Remus wore, and topped it all off with a sleeveless black robe. "I hate robes! Why in the name of Merlin does Albus think all teachers should wear robes?" She muttered, adjusting the shoulder seam on one side.

"I suppose it's to make us look more professional. All the students have to wear their uniform black robes, at least we get to choose our colors and styles." Remus answered, chuckling at his lovely mate.

The woman grunted in displeasure, she hadn't liked the student robes any better than she liked the ones her wardrobe now held. "Must ask Severus where he gets his robes, at least they have that dramatic billowing effect. Come on guys, I'm hungry and I want more coffee." 

Obligingly, Sirius transformed into Snuffles and stepped up to Drakkaras' right side. Remus placed her left hand in the crook of his right arm, and they exited their rooms together, pausing to greet Lily on the way out. The DADA corridor was on the fifth floor of the castle, so they had to make their way down the grand staircases to the ground floor, a task that wasn't made any easier by the shifting flights of stairs.

Finally making it to the Great Hall, they entered via the teachers' door at the front of the hall and took their places at the table. "Good morning Remus, Drakkara, and you of course Snuffles. How was your first night back?" The overly cheerful headmaster asked them as they took their seats, leaning around Severus to twinkle at them.

Remus and Drakkara made a slight effort to sound cheerful, or at least fully awake as they returned the Headmasters' greeting, wishing they could get away with barking as Sirius had done. Someone had had the unmitigated gall to place a pot of tea beside Drakkaras' plate and she turned to the potions master with a pleading gaze. "Want to trade Severus? I can not get through this mornings lessons on tea." She asked, gesturing towards the coffeepot beside the man.

Throwing her a highly amused smirk, as he'd been the one to switch his tea with her coffee when he first sat down, the potions master handed over the coffee and took the tea in its place. Gratefully, Drakkara poured coffee for herself and Remus, then loaded the plate in front of her with eggs, bacon, sausage, and pancakes and set it on the floor between herself and Remus for Snuffles.

The large dog yipped his thanks and dug into the pile of food as another golden plate appeared in front of the Defense Mistress. Concentrating on her coffee and the artificial energy it would provide her, Drakkara only took a small bowl of fruit and a couple pieces of toast for her own breakfast. 

By the time Remus and Drakkara had finished their coffee and started on their meal, it was eight o'clock and the late risers from among the students began to flow in looking harried. This group included Harry and Ron, with Hermione practically dragging them along. Following behind the trio was Ginny, looking nervously at her feet, cinnamon brown eyes on the light gray and cream striped kitten who was strolling casually beside her. 

The youngest Weasley didn't stop at the Gryffindor table with her brother and friends, but kept walking until she reached Drakkara at the head table. "Kara, umm, Professor Vanimaer. Zephyr refused to stay in the dorms when we came down, can you ask him why he wants to follow me?" The girl asked nervously.

Drakkara felt the kittens weight jump up into her lap as Ginny was speaking. Zephyr had grown a bit since coming home with the girl and was now the size of an adolescent kitten. After giving Ginny a nod and smile, the raven-haired woman looked down at the ball of fur in her lap and spoke to the kitten. "Zephyr, Ginny wants to know why you wouldn't stay in the dorms. Familiars aren't technically allowed in the classrooms, which is where she'll be going after breakfast."

"I don't wish to leave my fire child Drakkara. This place is very large and may hold many dangers to her. I will remain at her side for her protection." The kitten mewed back.

The violet-eyed woman took a small piece of sausage from one of the plates and fed it to the kitten as she repeated his words to his companion. "Well, it seems we have a slight problem. Zephyr refuses to leave you Ginny, he wants to protect you from any dangers in the castle." Drakkara turned her eyes on the Headmaster, leaning forward to see him around Severus. "Albus, I highly doubt we can keep him in the dorms if he doesn't want to stay there. He's strong enough now to use his element to levitate out the window and down to the ground where he could just come back in and scent around until he found Ginny. Would you give the okay for him to attend classes with her?"

The headmaster nodded his agreement for the elemental cat to attend classes with his companion and passed the word down the table to the other professors. Ms. Weasleys' cat was to be allowed into classes with the girl unless he caused a disruption, whereupon he would be sent packing to Professor Vanimaer. Drakkara made sure the kitten understood the message and Zephyr promised to behave unless there was something drastically wrong, then he would act to protect his companion or leave to find Drakkara so she could handle the situation.

Once Ginny had been reassured, she went back down to the Gryffindor table and sat beside a blonde haired boy that looked to be around her age, Zephyr trailing behind her. Drakkara greeted her godson by way of a wave of love and happiness through their bond, which was readily returned from the bespectacled teen along with a grin as he turned to wave at her.

The rest of the breakfast hour passed quickly and soon both professors and students were leaving the hall, heading for their first classes of the day. Remus and Drakkara seemed to have drawn the short straw as their first and second period classes contained the two groupings of new first years. 

As the pair walked back up the grand staircase to their classroom with Snuffles trailing behind Drakkara commented, "You know, when we were students, I didn't realize how hard the professors busted their bums just to see each class twice a week. We're scheduled from nine in the morning until six in the evening every day with only the one hour lunch break. Not to mention the time we spend grading papers and overseeing detentions. Explain to me again just why we wanted to be teachers Remy?"

"Because it's a fulfilling job, we like kids and we're good with them, and at least at Hogwarts, it pays well." The werewolf stated as he opened the door to their classroom. They wandered into the empty room and Drakkara lazily conjured a large cushion for Sirius to lay on while the other two were teaching. 

She nodded her agreement with her mate as they sat down and opened their lesson book. "True, on all counts." She would've continued speaking, but the first of their students, the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw first years began coming in and taking their seats. Remus and Drakkara exchanged a fond look and took a couple of deep, calming breaths. Their shared career as DADA professors was about to officially begin.

* * * * * * * * * *

For Harry, Ron, and Hermione, their first class was a piece of cake. Somehow, they had ended up with Divination or Ancient Runes as their first period and so as they headed off after breakfast, the boys bid Hermione good-bye on the second floor as they split off toward the north tower. Seamus and Dean joined them, along with the divination 'prodigies' Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil.

Professor Trelawney started the year off in her usual dramatic style, making several vague predictions and one truly awful one in which Harry met his doom in the form of a black serpent. Lavender and Parvati of course patted the bespectacled teens' hand in sympathy over his sure death in the near future, while Ron, Dean, and Seamus stifled their laughter behind their hands.

"Could this year have started off any worse mate? Double Div, Double CoMC without Hagrid, Double Potions, and Double History, and except for this one they're all with the Slytherins. And why are all the required OWL courses doubled this year? I'm beginning to agree with Fred and George, fifth year sucks." Ron stated in a whisper as he and Harry pretended to study their textbook as ordered by Professor Trelawney.

The raven-haired teen nodded an emphatic agreement. Looking over their schedules at the breakfast table, Harry had noticed that indeed all of their classes were doubles, and most with the Slytherins. That meant far too much time spent in the same rooms and corridors with Draco Malfoy as far as he was concerned. The strange look he'd received from his Slytherin rival on the train was still weighing on his mind.

After an interminable length of time, the two-hour divination class ended. Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffindors from that class met up with their single friend who'd had the sense to take Ancient Runes, and they wandered outside to Hagrids' hut where Professor Grubbly-Plank would be teaching Care of Magical Creatures. 

The Gryffindor fifth-years stood in loosely formed groups around the front of Hagrids cabin, waiting for their Slytherin counterparts to saunter down from the castle. It seemed that Professor Grubbly-Plank was starting their year off easily. There were a few crates sitting beside the cabin, each labeled 'Bowtruckles'. As Hermione informed them, a bowtruckle was a small creature that resembled a wooden stick figure and was normally found in trees bearing wand wood.

The bushy haired girl was explaining the properties of their creature of the week when the Slytherins made their appearance. At the head of the group was Draco Malfoy, the lauded Silver Prince of Slytherin. In unison, Harry and Ron groaned when they saw the sneering, aristocratic face of their rival and realized his silver-gray eyes were focused on them. "Alright Harry, Ron, remember what we promised each other. We're not going to let Malfoy get to us this year, no matter what he says to egg us into a fight." Hermione said quietly as the Slytherin contingent approached them.

The trio purposely turned their backs on Draco and his friends and waited for the first sneering insults to pass their rivals lips. They didn't have to wait long. "Well Potter, first day of classes. Tell me, have you, Weasel, and the Mudblood decided what kind of trouble you're going to get into this year to maintain your celebrity? If you're planning to get yourself killed I'd like to know so I can get a good seat. It's my right and duty as your rival to be on hand to laugh at your demise."

Ron growled, his face turning a deeper shade of red than his hair. He started to turn and face the Slytherin boy but was held back by Hermione. Harry drew a calming breath before he turned to glare at the blond. "Malfoy, stuff it. We're not gonna fight with you this year, you're just not worth the effort. You may think of yourself as my rival or nemesis or whatever, but let's face facts. Voldemort is my rival and nemesis, not you. You're my comic relief, a royal pain in my arse that just happens to be fun to practice new hexes on. Go find someone else to piss off Malfoy, cause you're not going to get your jollies here."

As the rest of the Slytherins were positioned slightly behind their leader, they didn't see what Harry saw in the blond teens' eyes upon hearing the Gryffindors comments. Draco Malfoy had flinched at hearing of his low status in Harry Potters' life, and his silvery eyes had actually lost their hard glint and misted over with sadness. For a split second, the hard mask of the Malfoy heir had fallen away and revealed Draco, and Draco had just had his feelings hurt badly.

The pain in the Slytherin boys' eyes was gone an instant after Harry saw it, and the mask was firmly back in place. Draco tilted his head slightly to the side and started to reply, but just then Professor Grubbly-Plank made her appearance and began the class. Her directions to the students forestalled any more verbal sparring between the scions of Slytherin and Gryffindor and the two groups separated to fetch their bowtruckles and begin the lesson.

* * * * * * * * * *

Harry went through the lesson on bowtruckles in a semi daze, his thoughts turned inward. His hands held the stick-like creature and attempted to draw it on a piece of parchment, but his mind reflected on his encounters with Draco Malfoy. He thought about their meeting on the train at the end of the previous year. Malfoy had been in fine form then, his usual disgustingly superior self. The blond boy had been confident in his position with the return of the Dark Lord, and had seemed happy about the prospect of death to Muggles and Muggleborns at Voldemorts' hand.

The bespectacled teen wondered what had changed over the summer to cause his rivals masks to slip, at least where Harry was concerned. Twice now, Harry had seen real feeling in the blondes' eyes. First had been the sincere apology for his comments on the train, and now Draco had been hurt by the Gryffindors retaliation to his insults. Harry decided to keep a close eye on the Slytherin during their inevitable future encounters, to see if those silver eyes would say something to him that the mouth wouldn't, or couldn't.

The raven-haired teen snuck a glance across the yard at the boy who'd held his thoughts through the last hour, wondering what was going on inside the Slytherins head. Surprisingly, his emerald eyes met and locked with silver ones, as Draco had been giving Harry a sidelong glance at the same time. Once again, there was emotion in Dracos' eyes, emotions that Harry couldn't discern the meaning of, as they'd never been directed at him from the other teen before.

* * * * * * * * * *

Draco Malfoy inwardly cursed himself and forced his eyes off the face of the Boy-Who-Lived. He had to be careful, the pale teen thought, so careful not to let Harry see more than a glimpse behind his Malfoy mask. The last few months since school ended had been a real eye opener for the Slytherin Prince. He'd now seen first hand the terror that was his fathers master, had seen the great Lucius Malfoy crawl forth on his knees to kiss the Dark Lords robes like a dog and receive the Cruciatus curse as his reward. 

Having seen what he had, Draco had come to the decision that it was most definitely not what he wanted from his life. Through some very discrete eavesdropping, Draco had learned much during the past two months. He'd heard his father speaking with the snake-like Dark Lord about a prophecy that somehow concerned Harry Potter. And while secretly watching a Death Eater meeting held in the Malfoy gardens, he'd seen his father and several others hit with the Cruciatus for being unable to obtain the prophecy for their Lord.

He'd learned more than just Voldemorts efforts to get at the prophecy though. He'd heard about other plans in the works, like envoys sent to the giants, vampires, and werewolves. He knew that there were tentative plans to attack Azkaban prison once word from the Dementors arrived, but what intrigued him most was what he'd learned about, and from, his mother.

Narcissa Malfoy, known to the public as a radiantly beautiful and utterly useless piece of arm candy for Lucius Malfoy, was much more than she appeared. Much of what he'd learned about life as a Death Eater had come from his mothers actions and seemingly offhand comments. In a truly Slytherin fashion, she'd shown her only son the horror of the Dark that lay buried under the façade of glory and power. 

As his hand drew a sketch of the bowtruckle in Vincent Crabbes' massive fist, Draco thought over two particular memories of his summer. The first scene to play in his mind was one he was sure his mother had arranged for him to see and hear; though he doubted she knew what the subject of it would be. 

**Flashback**

__

Draco was about to turn the corner and descend the staircase into the entrance hall of Malfoy Manor, responding to a summons from his mother, when he heard his father shouting. "How? How in the name of Merlin did she do it Narcissa? You knew her, knew her secrets, so tell me how in the depths of Dark Hell did Drakkara Vanimaer survive in hiding all these years! She was supposed to be dead, she should have been dead! We looked for her for months; just to be sure the bloody be-damned witch was dead. So tell me now Narcissa, how did your 'dear' friend Drakkara survive to come back just when it would hurt our side the worst?"

"What are you raving about Lucius? Drakkara died with the Potters, you told me so." Narcissa had replied in a confused voice. Draco sat down against the wall on the second floor landing and peeked around the corner in order to see the conversation between his parents.

Lucius looked like a wild man. His billowing black robes were in tatters; his long silver blond hair tangled with dirt and debris, his body shivering uncontrollably. Draco could see his father clenching his jaw as he spoke again, his voice frustrated and angry. "As it turns out, my dearest wife, your friend is very much alive. Severus was able to report this to our Dark Lord as she has returned to Hogwarts and that muggle-loving fool Dumbledore. I asked you before Narcissa, I'll only do it once more. What secret power does Drakkara Vanimaer hold that made her such a threat to us years ago, and has let her survive all this time in order to come back and oppose us again. If you know, I suggest that you tell me, or the consequences of your secrecy will be dire."

The Malfoy lord had stalked forward during his speech and was now looming over a cowering Narcissa, using his far superior height and mass to threaten the small woman. "Lucius, please, I don't know anything about any secret power I swear! She was my friend yes, but I was never as close to her as Lily Evans. I swear to you that Drakkara never told me what made her so powerful. Lucius, she knew I was betrothed to you from our first year at Hogwarts, and she knew you supported the Dark Lord, she would never trust me with her secrets because she knew I would tell you anything!"

Draco was shaking in fear for his mother as it looked as if his father was going to strike her. The blond teen had felt the force of Lucius Malfoys' anger before, and let out a relieved breath when the mans tightly clenched fist lowered back to his side. "What you say is true. The Vanimaer wench was too Slytherin to trust my betrothed with her secrets, despite your friendship. Go about what you were doing Narcissa, I will be in my study and I do not want to be disturbed."

Even the memory of his fathers uncontrolled rage made Draco shudder. Thankfully, his next memory was far less terrifying. 

**Flashback**

__

Draco was sitting in the spacious limousine across from his mother on the way to Kings Cross station. The teen was happy to be going back to school; happy to be leaving the constant state of fear he'd been living in for the last two months. The further they got from Malfoy Manor, the more both mother and son were able to relax. They arrived at the station about half an hour early, and Narcissa Malfoy guided her son through the barrier to platform nine and three-quarters.

The petite blonde woman had scanned the platform warily before taking hold of Dracos' shoulder and leading him into a deeply shadowed alcove. Once hidden from view, the Malfoy heir had looked into his mothers' sapphire blue eyes and seen the real Narcissa Malfoy for the first time. 

Narcissa Black-Malfoy had knelt before her child and taken his hands in hers, looking him directly in the eye. "Draco, you're a smart young man. I know you've seen and heard a lot this summer, and thought everything through. You know you have a decision to make this year, a decision that no child should have to make. You've seen where following in your fathers' footsteps will lead you, the only question that remains is whether that is the path you want to take."

Draco opened his mouth to try and form a reply, but his mother lifted one dainty hand and pressed her fingers over his lips. "No Draco, my precious son, don't try to answer me now, just listen to me. I've tried by best to show you the reality in which we live, the horror that lies just beneath the surface of wonderful things. You may not think you have a real choice in what you become Draco, but you do. You must think very hard about where you want to stand in the times ahead."

"If you decide that you are better than a groveling minion to an insane monster, then I can give you hope. When I was a student at Hogwarts, I was friends with two of the most powerful witches in my generation. Lily Evans was one, and she made the ultimate sacrifice to save her child, Harry Potter. The other was a rather mysterious but truly formidable woman named Drakkara Vanimaer." Narcissa paused here, apparently lost in a memory.

The blonde woman shook her head to clear it and continued speaking. "I know you overheard your father and I arguing about Drakkara earlier this summer, so I won't explain. Drakkara, my dearest and most sorely missed friend, will be at Hogwarts this year, as your Defense professor. Draco, if you don't want to be a Death Eater, she is your best, I dare say your only hope. If you go to her and tell her that you don't want to become another Lucius, she will do everything in her power to protect you."

The teen removed his mothers' fingers from his lips to reply. "But mother, how can she protect me from Father, if I should decide I need protection that is."

Narcissa shook her head, seemingly amused. "You're a true Slytherin son, hedging your words even to your own mother. My life rests in your hands Draco, and I give it to you willingly in hope of protecting you. If you repeat what I am about to tell you to Lucius, he will kill me, have no doubt. Drakkara Vanimaer has power and influence far beyond your father or even the Dark Lords' wildest imagination. I won't be specific, as it would betray her trust in me, but know that this much is true. If Drakkara Vanimaer gives you her protection, then you will never be forced into something you don't want for as long as she lives."

People were beginning to crowd onto the platform, and Narcissa looked around, knowing she must finish quickly. "Time flies my precious son, and so must I. You have been my one true light in life, since the day you were born. I beg you Draco, don't let your light burn out. Think hard about everything you witnessed this summer, and remember all I've said to you. I love you Draco, and I hope and pray you will make the right decision. I beg you my sweet baby, go to Drakkara, let her help you."

Finished at last, Narcissa Malfoy pulled her son into a tight embrace and peppered kisses over his cheeks and forehead. With a last whispered "I love you" she pulled back from the utterly astonished teen and proceeded to shock him even more by changing form right in front of him. A large blue jay took wing from the place she'd been standing and disappeared into the sky.

A bell ringing loudly from inside the castle jolted Draco out of his thoughts. The two-hour CoMC class was over and everyone was gathering up their things to go back into the castle for lunch. The blond quickly stuffed his parchment drawing and other supplies into his bag and stood, allowing Crabbe and Goyle to take their places on either side of him, and the other Slytherins to fall in behind them.

All through lunch in the Great Hall, Draco thought over his mothers' words at the station, and how a change in his allegiances would effect the Slytherin house as a whole. Since his first year in the Serpent house, he'd been the leader of those around him. Now a fifth-year, with leaders of the older students gone, Draco was the single most influential student in Slytherin house. 

Draco had always done his best to be seen as a younger version of his father, the cold and powerful Lucius Malfoy. He'd done a good job, the blond thought. Everyone except Harry Potter and his sidekicks either feared or respected the Slytherin Prince. If he suddenly dropped the act and the masks that went with it, he was in for a dangerous fall from grace. The silver-eyed teen knew that most of the students in his house were children of Death Eaters, destined, as he was, to become followers of Voldemort themselves. 

He risked a short glance over to the Gryffindor table, his eyes drawn to the lowered head of Harry Potter. The cutting words from earlier that day still pained when he remembered them. Draco really had wanted to be friends with the emerald-eyed boy, but took Harrys' rejection in Slytherin fashion and become his worst rival, well besides Voldemort that was. 

His mother had told him to trust in her old friend for protection, but Draco was hesitant. He didn't know this Drakkara Vanimaer, hadn't even recognized her on the train, but he had noticed her close relationship with Harry. Flicking his silvery-gray eyes away from the Gryffindor and up to the head table, he looked closely at the woman Narcissa Malfoy trusted with his life.

Professor Vanimaer was an extremely beautiful woman. Sitting up at the head table between the werewolf and the potions master, laughing merrily at something her teaching partner was saying to her, something that was making Professor Snape scowl even more than usual. Draco knew that the DADA professor had to be a powerful witch if Voldemort and Lucius Malfoy feared her, but the blond teen didn't see anything extraordinary about the raven-haired woman.

Draco decided to reserve judgement on this Professor Vanimaer until he'd been able to observe her and take his own measure. The blond teen was confused; he felt as if he were being pulled in two directions. Until this summer he'd always wanted to be exactly like his father, but Lucius had fallen in his sons eyes, and a new force within him was pulling him to see who Draco Malfoy could become without the older mans influence.

As if being pulled on a leash, the boys gray eyes wandered back to the Gryffindor table and landed on bespectacled boy again. "Mother puts her trust in her old friend. Perhaps I should put mine in my old enemy. Would you help me Potter? If I dropped my masks for you, would you set our past aside and help me find myself? Would you be my friend Harry?" Draco lowered his eyes again as those thoughts played through his mind, lighting a spark of hope in his heart.

* * * * * * * * * *

Unbeknownst to Draco, a pair of vibrant amethyst colored eyes had observed his inner monologue, using the boys' eyes and body language to determine the direction of his thoughts. Drakkara casually leaned toward her fellow Slytherin and questioned in a low voice. "Severus, you have the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins next don't you?"

Arching a dark eyebrow, the potions master nodded in reply. "Keep a close watch on Mr. Malfoy, you may need to cover for him. Unless I'm missing my guess, the boy is taking his first steps away from Lucius' influence and his masks are faltering." She continued in a serious tone though she kept her body language loose and seemingly carefree.

Severus turned his obsidian eyes on the silver blond teen, trying to discern what his former classmate had seen. A burst of laughter from the Gryffindor table provided confirmation of Drakkaras' suspicions as Dracos' eyes darted up from his plate and zeroed in on Harry Potter for a second before the boy managed to recover and form a sneer at the whole table in general. "I believe you're right Drakkara. Draco has always been excellent at hiding his true emotions, what I just witnessed is quite unusual for him." The greasy-haired man replied.

"I thought it might be. He's a Malfoy after all, and Narcissas' son on top of that. I believe it might be beneficial for us to speak more about this and other topics later, in a more private setting." The violet-eyed woman commented, hoping her colleague would accept an offer of help from her in dealing with the politics of their former house.

The potions master was in full agreement, knowing that dealing with his Slytherins would be especially difficult this year. "I have already arranged for any detentions I hand out during the next two weeks to be handled by Filch. Perhaps after the first stages of Lupins potion are completed we can discuss Mr. Malfoy and those other topics you mentioned. I will meet you in your office at seven o'clock this evening." Severus replied in an offhand manner before standing and leaving the hall as the bell signaling the end of the lunch hour sounded.

* * * * * * * * * *

Drakkara followed in the dark eyed mans wake a moment later with Remus and Snuffles beside her. "I swear, they must give extra lessons in the Slytherin common room on being covert. I heard every word you and Severus said to each other and I can honestly say I only understood about half of it." Remus said as they walked toward their classroom, giving his mate a curious glance.

Sirius barked his agreement with the other man and Drakkara chuckled at them both. "I'll translate in the classroom. We should have a few minutes before the sixth years come in." She replied, not wanting to be overheard.

Remus shook his head in slight bewilderment but sped up his steps so that they would reach the classroom faster. When they entered, Drakkara left the door open and ushered the Marauders into their office. She shut the door behind her and locked it, then placed a silencing spell over it. "Aren't you being just a tad paranoid Kara?" Sirius asked, having transformed back into himself once the door was shut.

The raven-haired woman sat down on the edge of her desk and replied, "Not a bit Paddy-love. When it comes to discussing Slytherin politics one can never be too careful. I'll give you the short explanation now, you'll hear the details tonight if you sit in while Severus and I talk about it."

"We were actually speaking a bit more clearly than we should have, but we knew the only ones who could hear us were the two of you and Albus. Basically, Draco Malfoy is heading for trouble. Right now, he's the most powerful person in Slytherin house. As such, his every word and gesture is under scrutiny from his housemates." She began, speaking quickly, as they didn't have much time. 

"From what I've gathered in talking to Harry, Ron and Hermione, up until now Draco has been like a miniature Lucius, which means he wears a mask of cold, sneering indifference to everything. Earlier I was watching the Slytherin table and I saw his masks down. He was showing his inner turmoil and kept looking at Harry. In his position, showing emotion is bad enough, but combine that with not being able to keep his eyes off Harry and you have a disaster in the making. If the other Slytherins see him slipping they'll put two and two together and realize, as Severus and I have, that their leader is thinking about changing loyalties." Drakkara pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger, a headache forming at the mere thought of what could happen to the boy if that happened.

Remus and Sirius exchanged glances, realizing that the blond teen was in a precarious position and their friend was right to be worried about him. "Okay, still not understanding everything, but we get the basic picture. If Malfoy Jr. makes it obvious he's thinking about changing sides the other Slytherins will notice. They'll tell their Death Eater parents and word will get back to Lucius and Voldemort right?" The animagus asked.

Drakkara nodded, "That will be the start of it yes. From the point when the other Slytherins notice something is off the situation will escalate. Lucius will pull Draco home at the first opportunity and depending on how the boy acts he could end up either wearing the mark, disowned, or dead. But it won't stop there, the whole of Slytherin house will be in chaos with at least three factions trying to gain control within the house."

"Good Merlin, they're kids for crying out loud, not politicians! A fifteen year old boy could end up dead, a bunch of kids dividing into factions, it's insane!" Sirius exclaimed angrily.

Still sitting on her desk, Drakkara gave a deep sigh of sadness. "It is insane Siri, but it has every possibility of happening. We don't have any more time to talk about it now, but this is basically what Severus and I are going to be talking about tonight. We're going to have to figure out how to stop the avalanche before it starts and at the same time help and protect Draco if he decides to go against his father." It was a somber couple and an equally dejected looking dog who exited the office a minute later and began teaching their sixth year advanced class. 

* * * * * * * * * *

At six o'clock that evening, classes ended for the day and once again the staff and students gathered in the great hall for a meal. Drakkara and Remus were chatting amiably with Albus about their first day when Severus Snape swooped into the hall with his normal dramatic flare. The potions master treated the assembled student body with one of his more potent death glares as he took his seat beside the DADA Mistress.

"Drakkara, I hope you keep a bottle of potent liquor in your storeroom, I believe we are going to need it." The greasy-haired man said by way of greeting. Drakkara arched an eyebrow at her colleague and he allowed her to see the frustrated exhaustion in his dark eyes.

Figuring that Severus had had a rough time with his last two classes the raven-haired woman nodded. "You can have your choice of brandy, scotch, or fire whiskey, but not until we're finished with the first stages of the potion. Remus and Snuffles would like to be included in our discussion so I thought we might use the sitting room of our suite to talk." 

The onyx-eyed man gave a sharp nod of agreement and settled down to attempt to enjoy his meal. The two DADA professors and the potions master made quick work of their dinner and left the hall as soon as they'd finished. Drakkara, Remus, and Snuffles stopped for a few moments on their way out to talk with the Gryffindor trio. They made pleasant conversation for a few minutes and said good-night to the teens while also giving Severus time to take care of something in the dungeons before he came up to their rooms.

Even having spent a few minutes with their favorite teens Drakkara and the two Marauders still made it back to their classroom and office before the potions master. The raven-haired woman waited in the office for Severus, sending her mate and friend up to their room. About ten minutes later, precisely at seven, the Slytherin head of house arrived with the book on stones, a few rolls of parchment, and a self inking dict-o-quill in hand. 

Drakkara laughed a bit when she saw that her colleague had come fully prepared to learn and take notes on the potion they were brewing. "My goodness Severus, one would almost think you were attending a class. Come on up to the suite, I'll let you into the trunk so you can get a feel for the lab while I change out of these damned teaching robes and into something more practical."

"I believe this might just turn into a class Drakkara. After all, I am quite unfamiliar with both the potion we're making and most of the ingredients we'll be using. I admit some of this parchment is for taking notes, but there are a few rolls here already filled with my own notes and questions about the book that I thought you might be able to clarify for me." The potions master replied in a surprisingly pleasant voice. 

The pair ascended the stairs, continuing their conversation. When they reached the portrait guarding the entrance to the suite however, Severus paused mid-sentence. He examined the portrait of Lily Evans surrounded by animals. "Well, I certainly recognize Lily, Black, and Lupin. I assume the stag is Potter, but where is the rat, and who are the blue jay and the cobra?" He asked.

The violet-eyed woman smiled at the portrait as she replied, "As if I would allow Wormtail in this portrait. The cobra is Spectre, my animagus form. The jay is another of my friends, but you'll have to make your own assumptions as to which because I'm sworn to secrecy."

She whispered the password to Lily and ushered Severus into the suite. Remus or Sirius had already moved the magical trunk out of the bedroom and it was opened to the tenth chamber. Assuming that the two men were already inside, Drakkara stepped in herself, followed by the potions master. They found both Remus and Sirius in the potions lab, poking around in the storeroom. "Oh eww! Remy, she's got a bottle of troll snot over here! What the hell kind of potion uses troll snot?" They heard Sirius call out.

"I dunno, probably the same potion that uses the manticore piss I just found. I don't even want to know how or why she acquired that!" The werewolf replied in a disgusted voice. The conversation between the two men caused both Drakkara and Severus to burst into laughter.

The werewolf and animagus responded to the new sounds by exiting the storeroom with almost identical appalled expressions. "Actually, those ingredients are used in several different potions, but never together in one, they react rather badly to each other. And no Remy-love, you really don't want to know how I got the manticore urine." The raven-haired woman got out between chuckles.

Sirius shook his head sadly at the pair of potion makers. "You two are disturbing. You actually _like_ working with this stuff? And you Snape, you're bloody well laughing! Do you realize that's a sign of the apocalypse? Just ask Trelawney, she'll tell you!"

Not even Severus could resist another fit of laughter at the escaped convicts' dramatic speech. "Yes, she probably would, just as she spent an entire year seeing the grim every time your godson entered her classroom. But I assure you; I do laugh upon occasion. Sometimes it doesn't even involve the utter embarrassment and humiliation of Gryffindors. Now, Drakkara I suggest you retire to whichever compartment in this thing houses your clothing and get changed, we have work to do."

Drakkara gave the three men a mock serious look. "Quite right. Severus, you'll find my work notes on Lupins Hope in the filing cabinet over there, why don't you look over the first stage. And all three of you, do endeavor not to kill each other while I'm gone won't you?" 

She left the lab, snickering at the looks she'd gotten over her last comment. Severus immediately went over and removed the folder full of notes labeled Lupins Hope and immersed himself in the pages of neat writing. The potions master quickly realized that Drakkaras' style of note taking was far more thorough than his own. With his nearly photographic memory for anything relating to potion making, the greasy-haired man did not need to make note of each ingredients properties and what they would do when combined with others as his former classmate did.

As he read through the copious amount of notes, Severus began issuing orders to the Marauders. "Black, we need the size twelve pewter cauldron set up over the…" He looked up and took in the five workstations with their different sized fire pits. "Over the third work station. Lupin if you would, go into the storeroom and bring out a gallon bottle of water labeled as 'running water, magical surrounding, full moon'."

With a shared glance and shrug of their shoulders, Remus and Sirius did as they were told. After they'd finished their first tasks, the potions master ordered the water into the cauldron and the fire lit to heat the water to a simmering boil. By the time Drakkara returned, dressed now in a pair of blue jeans and a red tank top, the three men had mostly set up the workstation for the task ahead.

"Nicely done you three, thanks. Severus, have you gotten a proper overview of what we'll be doing tonight?" The violet-eyed woman asked, taking an apron of dragonhide from its space on the wall and putting it on over her outfit.

Severus shed his billowing black robe, revealing a loose fitting black tunic and cotton trousers and then took another apron from the wall, putting it on as he replied, "Your notes are quite meticulous Drakkara. Tonight's work seems easy enough; how long will it take to brew?"

The violet-eyed woman stood back from the still heating cauldron after testing its temperature with a muggle thermometer. They had a few minutes until they could begin so she used the time to explain. "The potion takes six days to brew, that's why I wanted to start tonight. Each stage needs to be completed approximately twenty-four hours after the previous one, which is convenient, though the final two stages will take longer than the others will. It's a relatively easy potion, at least for those with some skill."

She went over to the filing cabinet where Severus had replaced her notes and opened the top cabinet while muttering a complicated password in her native tongue. It seemed even her filing cabinet held secrets as the drawer slid out to reveal contents different than it had when the potions master opened it. Drakkara flipped through the parchment rolls until she came across one tied with a sapphire blue ribbon that had a moonstone dangling from its end. Untying and unrolling the parchment as she walked back to the three men she handed it to Severus and said, "This is the completed recipe, take a look. I'll go get our first stone ingredients."

Leaving the men to peruse the recipe for her potion, Drakkara disappeared into the storeroom, going into a hidden chamber where she kept the vast array of stones she used as potion ingredients. While she was gone, Severus studied the recipe intently, marveling at the simplistic, yet utterly complex nature of the potion they were about to brew. After giving the potions master a few minutes to take in the information Remus asked, "What can you tell me about it Severus? How hard did she have to work to come up with this potion?"

Severus stood up and looked Remus in the eye. "I've always said that potion making is an art form Lupin, and that is true. Inventing new potions is a labor of love for the art, or in this case, for you. Drakkara is a skilled potion maker, but she never would have been able to make this without a strong bond of love for you. This is a work of art in itself, a masterpiece that any potions master would strive for a lifetime to create."

"Not to mention that this is the most Slytherin potion I've ever seen. Technically, most any Hogwarts student to pass their Potions NEWT could brew this. She must have experimented for years to come up with something this powerful that would also be so simple to make that most of the werewolf population could do it themselves." The man was slowly shaking his head as he looked over the recipe again.

Sirius and Remus were rather stunned by the other mans sincere and eloquent summation. A bit befuddled by one statement Sirius felt the need to ask. "Why do you say it's the most Slytherin potion you've ever seen if it's so simple to make? Slytherins are the most bloody complex people in the world."

The dark eyed man nodded in agreement to the animagus' last statement and replied. "It's simple to make, and most people will never understand the hidden complexity in this potion. Only a Master, someone who understands the properties of each ingredient and why and how they interact together will see the true beauty and Slytherin cunning that went into this. Some of these ingredients have never been used together in a potion before because they react violently to each other, yet Drakkara has used her stones and other things to slip the volatile ingredients in without causing the explosive and dangerous reactions."

None of the three men had noticed their female friend return to the lab with her jars of crushed stone and she was able to listen to Severus' lecture as well, smiling as he complimented her on her Slytherin qualities. "Yes, I got quite good at ducking and running when I started using those ingredients, until I figured out how to sneak them past each other." She broke in, coming over to set her burdens down.

Severus looked down at the woman from his superior height, waiting until she was looking at him to speak. "Drakkara, I will never doubt your worth as a Slytherin again. I honestly can not wait to see how exactly you managed this. Whether you want the title or not, I am going to see to it that you receive that honorary membership into the Potion Masters Guild that we were discussing a few weeks ago. I can't make the nomination myself due to my position, but I'm on good terms with several other masters who can make the nomination in my stead."

The dour, sarcastic mans words left Remus and Sirius gaping, and Drakkara blushed faintly. "Severus, I believe that is the nicest thing you've said to me in years and I thank you for both the compliment and the nomination. Lots of titles always look nice, and the contacts will no doubt prove quite useful in the future. But enough bolstering my ego, we have work to do, and there's the prospect of a nice glass of scotch to end the day once we're finished here."

That said, Drakkara got down to business. As the three men would only be watching this time around in order to get a feel for the technique and learn the proper preparation, she had them drag over some stools to sit on while they observed. The raven-haired woman set about chopping, stirring, slicing, and grinding her ingredients in a casual manner, chatting easily about the potion and why she was doing things this way or that. 

Severus took a few notes as he watched, but he soon found that just listening to her proved more useful. She did more than instruct, she was telling them the story of the potions development complete with the humor and drama that came with her failed and sometimes explosive experimenting. By the time she finished off her work for the evening by sprinkling some amethyst powder over the top of the softly bubbling liquid, her friends and colleague had a thorough understanding of this stage of the potion and how it came to be.

As they cleaned up and exited the trunk Remus gave his mate a smile and said, "I have to say Kara-love, I've never enjoyed a potions lesson before in my life. You're a great teacher Pretty Girl."

"Perhaps I should send Mr. Longbottom to you for his potions lessons Drakkara. It might save both my dungeons and my sanity." Severus commented, only half joking. He too had realized that the raven-haired woman had a knack for teaching that he himself did not and wondered if the skill was something that could be learned.

Drakkara laughed with Remus and Sirius, having heard about the walking disaster that was Neville Longbottom anywhere near a cauldron. "I might be persuaded, at least to tutor the boy. Harry and Ron could certainly use some additional lessons to prepare for the OWLs and Neville could join them. That is, if it wouldn't offend you Severus." She replied with a smile.

The potions master raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Offend me? You're offering to take the three worst students I've ever had the displeasure of teaching and attempt to turn them into halfway competent potion makers, and you think I'll be offended? Woman, if you can get those three through their OWLs with at least an Acceptable grade I will attend next terms welcoming feast wearing the Gryffindor quidditch uniform with a smile on my face."

The mental pictures that followed Severus' proclamation caused the other three to burst out laughing and keep them in fits until they were gasping and clutching their stomachs. "Oh Merlin, you have to do it Kara! I'll help, Remy will help! Hell if you tell the rest of the staff they'll help too! What do we get if they pass with an O Snape?" Sirius exclaimed through his gasping chuckles.

Severus sneered at his nemesis and replied, "I do not believe that is humanly or magically possible Black. In fact, I cannot bear to even think of it, as it would mean having them in my class for an additional two years. But if the impossible should come to pass, we will discuss it just before I kill myself."

Drakkara had managed to control her giggles while Severus and Sirius were talking and retrieved a bottle of scotch from the second compartment of her trunk. She conjured up four glasses and poured out the liquor while the men settled into the armchairs or in Remus' case, relaxed onto the couch beside her. When all four were holding their first two fingers of the dark liquid Drakkara raised her glass in a toast. "Well, here's to the end of our first day of classes. May the future ones prove much easier!"

In an unusual show of relaxed amiability between the Severus, the Marauders, and Drakkara, the four clinked glasses and took a long drink of the potent scotch. "Thank Merlin for good liquor, I certainly need it after this afternoon. Any class containing Malfoy, Potter, and Longbottom deserves a stiff drink, but I think it's prudent to say that todays lesson is worthy of becoming severely drunk." The potions master stated, leaning back in his armchair with a groan.

Curious looks were aimed his way from Sirius and Remus, while Drakkara nodded sympathetically. "I thought it might be bad, but at least you were forewarned. What happened?" She asked.

"As you anticipated, I had to cover for Dracos' lack of emotional control. I arrived at the classroom well before the students so that I could observe any interaction between the Gryffindor Trio and Draco. My best guess is that something occurred between Malfoy and Potter during their CoMC class before lunch. Draco attempted to provoke Potter just outside the classroom, though his comments were nowhere near as biting as they could have been. Potter merely sighed and said something about having already told him to piss off because they weren't going to bother fighting with him anymore." The potions master began.

The onyx-eyed man drained his glass and poured another two fingers of scotch before he continued. "The situation went downhill from there. I began the class, having them brew the draught of peace. Malfoy is seated one row behind Potter in my class and the damned boy kept looking at the back of Potters head with hope and hurt of all emotions written all over his face. About half way through the class, right around the time he should have been trying to throw a little something extra into Potters cauldron I noticed that Mr. Zabini was watching Draco rather closely, as if he were confused by him."

Severus shook his head in frustrated anger. "I can not believe Draco has lost his control so quickly. I stepped into Zabinis' line of sight and caught Dracos' eye. I could not do much to tell the boy he was being watched, so I gave him a questioning look and indicated that he should attempt to ruin Potters potion, then stepped out of the way so that he could see Zabini who was still watching him. Draco must have gotten the point because his masks came back up and he had Goyle distract both Potter and Weasley so that he could make an addition to the potion. He managed to keep control of himself for the remainder of the class, but if he keeps slipping it won't be long before he gets into serious trouble."

Finished with his recitation, the potions master relaxed a little more and took a sip from his glass, watching the contemplative expression on his fellow Slytherins' face. "Speaking on the side of caution, I'll say that Mr. Zabini may suspect something is 'wrong' with Mr. Malfoy. If I remember right, his parents, Antonius and Gianna remained neutral throughout the last war, though Giannas' family leaned toward whatever the ministry was doing. Is it safe to say that the Zabini family is still relatively neutral?" Drakkara asked her fellow Slytherin.

The potions master replied in a confident voice, "I believe Antonius has been cautiously approached, but is adamant about staying out of the conflict. That said, Blaise Zabini is probably the best Slytherin to have noticed Dracos' problem."

The violet-eyed woman nodded her agreement. "Alright, if Mr. Zabini is any kind of Slytherin, he'll want to observe Draco for a while and confirm what he only suspects now. Is he the type to point out what he's noticed to the others or will he keep it to himself until he's certain?" She asked.

Severus thought about the question for a moment before he responded. "If the situation were anything other than the way it is right now, I believe Blaise might approach one of the other Slytherins. However, it seems that his fathers' political neutrality has caused a bit of strife among the more prominent fifth years. From what I've noticed in watching that group both last night and today, Mr. Zabini is now only a fringe member of the group rather than being in the thick of it as he has been since their first year. I will cautiously say that Blaise would no longer feel confident about sharing information with his friends and will keep what he knows to himself for a while."

"Well, that gives us some time doesn't it? The others in that group are Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode, not the brightest girls I've ever met; and Crabbe and Goyle are possibly even more dimwitted than their fathers." Remus commented, not liking the pensive expression his mate was wearing.

The head of Slytherin answered with a raised eyebrow. "You're only half right Lupin. Crabbe and Goyle are first class dunces true enough, but the Misses Parkinson and Bulstrode are far more cunning than they let on. Millicent is quite like her mother in everything except looks. You would remember Visceria Corsail, as she was the Head Girl in our third year. Pansy on the other hand is an exact replica of her father when it comes to intellect."

Drakkara was thinking hard, matching up the people she'd gone to school with to the children she would be teaching this year. "Merlin, I hate Slytherin politics. Out of the group of fifth years we're concerned with, at least two of them will end up marked, and the girls will end up married to Death Eaters if they don't become followers themselves."

"Quite right Drakkara. But we can't allow ourselves to get sidetracked right now. Our main concern is Draco. He needs to regain his poise before the others notice what is going on and inform their parents." Severus replied, bringing them back to the subject at hand.

After draining the remainder of her scotch and pouring another, Drakkara spoke again, though it seemed she was thinking aloud rather than addressing any of her companions. "Right, Draco. We have to do something soon, but what? Out of the four of us, I'm the only one who could approach him and warn him to be careful. But if it got back to Lucius that I was showing a special interest in his son, Draco would have to answer for it and I'm not sure he could come up with a believable excuse for his contact with me. Any ideas Severus?"

The potions master closed his eyes and thought hard about the best way to approach Draco before he replied. "The only other person who could conceivably warn Draco and get through to him is Potter. It is Potter who seems to make him lose his composure after all, and unfortunately those two have most every one of their classes together this year. But even if your godson would agree to speak with our little prince, it might prove more dangerous for both boys than if you were the one to approach him Drakkara. If you told Draco that you were friends with his mother then he could pass that on to Lucius as his excuse for your interest in him."

Pinching the bridge of her nose to stave off the throbbing in her head, Drakkara agreed with her colleague. "You're right Sev, it would be far too dangerous for them both if Harry were to get involved, at least until Draco has stabilized his position in Slytherin. We don't have time to come up with any other candidates; this has to be resolved immediately. Remy and I have the fifth years tomorrow afternoon; I can hold Draco back at the end of class and speak with him."

Sirius had been listening quietly to the discussion between the two Slytherins, amazed at their thorough analysis of the situation and the details they remembered of the childrens parents that aided them in understanding the teenagers. Now he had an idea, one he felt they should hear, so he spoke up. "You know, Narcissa is my cousin, and I never had a problem with her until she married Malfoy. Until now I didn't think any of her traits had been passed on to Draco, but if he's even thinking about doing something Lucius wouldn't approve of then I was wrong."

The animagus refilled his glass with scotch before he continued. "You two have both noticed that Draco is mainly losing his cool around Harry, and I was thinking that maybe we could use that, if Harry is willing to cooperate. Once we get this thing with his masks settled and we don't have to worry about a political war in the dungeons we should talk to Harry about attempting to at least try a truce with Draco. If we could find a way to give them some time together without anyone watching, Harry might be able to help Draco make up his mind."

"My God, that idea actually has merit. Black, I'm surprised at you. But do you think your golden child would lower himself to a truce with the Slytherin Prince? I'll be frank with the three of you this once, but don't expect such a display from me again. Draco is my godson, and I would like nothing better than to see him away from his father and firmly on the side of Light. If you can convince Potter to help Draco I will do whatever it takes to make sure he has the opportunity." Severus stated, revealing his secret relationship with the Malfoy heir.

Both Remus and Drakkara agreed with the idea and planned to invite Harry up to their suite over the weekend and talk to him about secretly befriending his rival. "You know, the four of us are sitting here conspiring to end the worst schoolboy rivalry since…well, since us. It seems hypocritical to ask them to put their past aside when three of us can't even call each other by our first names. What do you say Sirius, Severus, can the three of us lay the past to rest?" The werewolf asked, casting his golden eyes between the infamous pair of rivals.

The two men looked at each other, gauging their counterparts willingness to bury the hatchet. They seemed to come to a silent agreement after a long moment because Sirius spoke in an even tone. "I don't know how well this will work, but I'm willing to try if you are." He paused, then offered his hand to the potions master. "Hi, I'm Sirius Black."

Obsidian eyes flicked down to inspect the hand being held out to him then locked back on the intense blue gaze of his long time nemesis and took the animagus offered hand. "Severus Snape." He completed the new beginning between them by introducing himself.

Remus got up from the couch and walked over to join them. He too offered Severus his hand and introduced himself, giving the potions master a smile when it was taken in a firm grip. The three men stood in a nervous silence after sealing their truce, unsure what to say to each other. A girlish squeal of delight from the couch broke the tension and they all turned to raise curious and amused eyebrows at their female companion.

Drakkara was bouncing in her seat, her hands clasped together and a brilliant smile lighting her face. "Oh how wonderful! I never thought I'd see the three of you trying to get along, I'm so happy! Ooh, I wonder if Albus is still awake, he'll be so pleased!" The raven-haired woman attempted to get up and move to the fireplace, most likely to fire-call the Headmaster and inform him of the miracle that had just taken place, but stumbled about half way across the room and landed smartly on her behind.

They couldn't help it; it was impossible for the three men not to laugh until they cried over the womans drunken exuberance. "I guess she was too busy the last fourteen years to develop a tolerance for alcohol." Remus commented between fits of laughter.

"She's the only woman I know who can get sotted by drinking butterbeer." Sirius added, flopping back into his armchair and clutching his aching stomach muscles.

Severus shook his head and went over to the woman who was still sitting on the hard floor rubbing her bottom and pouting. He smirked down at her and held out his hand to help her up. "Come along Kara, up you get. Your behind won't feel any better until it's off the floor. You should know better than to drink more than two shots of hard liquor with your low tolerance for alcohol. I distinctly remember you passing out from a single shot of fire whiskey after the Yule Ball in our fifth year."

His last comment was spoken merely for the entertainment of the two Marauders who promptly started giggling again. "Oh shut up the lot of you. It's not my bloody fault and besides, I can hold my liquor just fine under the right circumstances. Namely as long as I've just eaten and I'm not stressed out." She continued pouting but allowed Severus to help her up and lead her back to the couch.

The greasy-haired man couldn't help gracing the others with a genuine smile as he spoke. "Well, I believe we've accomplished everything we set out to do, so I'll take my leave and let you two deal with our drunken friend. I hope you have a pleasant night, and I will see you in the morning."

Drakkara, Remus, and Sirius bid the potions master goodnight, and the werewolf escorted him down to the classroom so that he could lock up behind the Slytherin. When Remus returned, the trio gave in to the exhaustion of a long and trying day, murmuring goodnights and retiring to their respective bedrooms. 


	13. Chapter 12

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Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 12

Harry Potter awoke the next morning feeling a bit disoriented from a night filled with vague and unusual dreams. He couldn't remember anything about them, but didn't like the headache and nauseous feeling they'd left him with. It was rather early for the Gryffindor to be awake, only six-thirty, but he realized it wasn't worth trying to go back to sleep when he'd have to get back up in an hour so he got out of bed to start his day.

A feminine voice, overlaid by quiet hissing, greeted the raven-haired teen when he came back from his shower. "Good morning Harry." Siranev said from where her tank rested on the floor near his bed.

"Good morning Siranev, how are you today? I'm sorry I didn't get to spend much time with you yesterday, were you bored up here by yourself?" The boy returned his familiars greeting, walking over and lifting the lovely serpent from her habitat.

The snake coiled around her companions' wrist, her favorite spot for spending time with the boy. "I am well Harry, though I am quite hungry. Would you mind taking me to Drakkara and my parents so that I can get something to eat?" She replied.

Harry looked appalled at his inattention to the serpents needs. "Oh Merlin, I'm sorry Sira, I forgot you would need to eat soon. I'll take you down to breakfast with me and give you to Ama so that she can give you some crickets or something. I have class with her this afternoon so I can pick you up then. Does that sound okay?"

The small serpent sounded pleased as she replied, "No need to apologize Harry, I wasn't hungry until very late last night after you'd gone to sleep. Those arrangements will do quite well for me. Do you think I might be able to attend classes with you in the future though? I did get rather bored up here, there was no one to speak with except that toad and even magical toads are not known for their conversational skills."

The bespectacled teen laughed at his familiars' words. "I didn't think they would be, but then I never knew they were able to talk at all until Ama told us that all magical animals could speak in their own way. I can ask about you going to class with me when I give you to Ama, I think that it would be okay. You're less conspicuous than Zephyr and he's allowed to go with Ginny."

Harry and Siranev continued talking, mostly about the boys' classes as he finished getting ready and after a long battle with Morpheus managed to wake Ron and get his best friend headed for the showers. With the redhead awake, Harry was able to head down to the common room and work on the mass amounts of homework he'd received the previous day until it was time to leave for breakfast.

Up in the DADA tower, things were not going well that morning. The trio had awoken late, with hangovers all around, and the pain and nausea kept making the three people stop what they were doing until they could control their rebellious stomachs. "And you two talk about me not having a head for alcohol, you shouldn't be hung over from the what, three glasses of scotch you had last night?" Drakkara grumbled as she stepped out of her trunk, freshly showered and bearing coffee.

"Must be like you said last night Kara, stress and an empty stomach. I don't normally get hangovers at all, werewolf metabolism and all that." Remus answered, taking his coffee cup and draining the contents despite the scalding temperature.

Sirius did the same, rubbing his blood shot eyes tiredly. "Thank Merlin I can get away with sleeping in class. I don't suppose you have a hangover potion in the trunk Kara? I'd be eternally grateful." The animagus pleaded.

The raven-haired woman shook her head sadly from her place in front of the mirror. She started weaving her long hair into a tight french braid as she replied, "You'll have to be eternally grateful to Severus, I don't tie one on often enough to keep a stock of hangover potions. Go stick your head in the fire and ask him to bring some up to breakfast. If he feels anything like we do, he'll have already raided his cupboards for some."

The animagus took his friends suggestion and pushed off the bedroom doorway where he'd been standing as they spoke. At their living room fireplace, Sirius knelt down and lit the wood with a simple _incendio_, threw a pinch of floo powder into the flames and stuck his head in while calling "Severus Snapes' chambers."

After a nauseating blur of fireplaces within Hogwarts had passed, his vision cleared to show the potion masters' living room. Sirius didn't see the man himself anywhere in view so he called out. "Severus, oh Severus, are you awake yet oh great potions master?"

"Black…pardon me…Sirius, it is far too early for me to hear your annoyingly cheerful voice. What has you calling on me this bloody early in the morning, as if I didn't know?" The potions master replied, coming into view from his bedroom. His face was obscured by the towel he was using to dry his midnight hair, but the biting tone he used to address his former nemesis informed the animagus that he was indeed also suffering a hangover.

Sirius stifled his chuckle before replying, "Sorry Severus, I realize you must be feeling as crappy as we do up here. You wouldn't happen to have some extra hangover potion on hand that you could bring to breakfast with you…pretty please? I'll let Kara put a Slytherin themed collar on me for the day if you say yes." The animagus attempted bribery.

Severus lowered the towel from over his face and smirked. "Of course I have a stock of hangover potion, though using four vials in one go will deplete my supply. Wear the collar and I'll bring some up to breakfast, and you and Remus can make a new batch tonight while Drakkara and I work on the other potion." He replied, hoping to con the other man into taking one of the chores he'd set himself for the evening.

"You've got a deal Severus, that's one potion I could make in my sleep. See you in the hall." Sirius responded and pulled his head out of the fire.

The blue-eyed man doused the remnants of his fire and walked back into Remus and Drakkaras' bedroom. "He'll bring us the potion but Snuffles has to wear a Slytherin collar for the day and you and I have to make a new batch of hangover cure tonight Remy. Hey, since when do you braid hair mate?" He said, noticing the last when he looked over at the couple.

Remus turned his head in order to see his friend, his fingers still weaving the long length of Drakkaras' hair. "Sounds fair. Kara taught me how to do it years ago, her hair's too long to manage this without messing it up. Bloody pain in the arse if you ask me, but I like the length too much to risk her chopping it off."

The woman handed her mate an elastic band for her hair so that he could tie off the end of the waist length braid and added her two knuts to the conversation. "Hmm, a Slytherin collar? That sounds like something you would come up with. You tried to bribe Severus right off didn't you? Yes, the long hair is a pain to take care of, but there's no way in hell I'm cutting it. I'd look ridiculous with short hair."

As Sirius replied that yes, he had attempted to bribe the potions master, Drakkara pulled the length of her braid over her shoulder and slid a white gold coiled serpent decoration over the elastic band. She checked herself over in the mirror to make sure she looked alright and was pleased with the result.

Drakkara was not in any mood to deal with robes today, and was prepared to bite off the head of anyone who tried to make her wear one. She'd compromised by wearing a tight fitting vest top that billowed out into a long skirt from waist to ankle. The unusual style of blouse/dress suited her, and the unrelieved black color set off her pale skin and vibrant eyes. Underneath the flowing skirt she wore a pair of black leggings that clung like a second skin.

With her familiars coiled in their favorite spots around her biceps she decided that, all in all, she looked like a feminine version of Severus, meaning strict and forbidding. The outfit would give her students a clue as to her hangover induced bad mood and perhaps make the day go a bit easier. She turned to her male companions and asked, "Well, are we ready to head down to breakfast?"

Remus nodded, having just finished pulling on his robes, and Sirius transformed into Snuffles before approaching his friend to be collared. Drakkara took the simple blue dog collar from its place on a nearby table and waved her wand over it, changing the color to Slytherin green with a pattern of silver serpents around it. She clasped it around the Great Danes' thick neck and gave the dog a friendly scratching about his ears. "There you go Snuffles, all ready to proclaim your loyalty to Slytherin house."

That comment earned the woman a growl from her Gryffindor friend, though he made up for the noise by slobbering all over her hand. Giving the dog a disgusted look, she wiped the drool off onto his midnight fur. "That's gross Padfoot. Keep your tongue to yourself or you'll find my supply of troll snot coating your hair one morning." With the threat of disgusting substances to keep 'her familiar' in line, Drakkara looped her arm through Remus' and left their suite to face the new day.

Severus joined the trio at the foot of the grand staircase, having just come up from the dungeons. As they murmured greetings, the potions master discreetly passed over three vials of hangover cure. Remus and Drakkara clinked vials in a mock toast and threw the puke yellow liquid down their throats in one gulp to avoid encountering the flavor of the potion. The tawny-haired werewolf handed his vial back and took the third, dumping it into the open mouth of the huge black dog.

When all three had joined their colleague in feeling better, they strode off toward the great hall, now feeling that they could possibly manage to eat and keep it down. Rather than going around to the teachers' entrance, the foursome went through the main doors. Heads turned as they seemed to glide up to the head table.

Remus had chosen black robes this morning, closed to the waist but open and flowing behind him below, which meant that he, Drakkara, and Severus matched up fairly well. With the huge black dog preceding them, the three professors made an intimidating sight. The Slytherins especially seemed to take note of their head of house with the mysterious woman and the only competent DADA professor they'd ever had as the trio made their way through the hall, yards of inky black material billowing out in their wake.

The werewolf pulled out his mates chair when they reached the head table and Severus made a show of seating the woman before both men took their own places on either side of her. They exchanged amused looks, knowing they had the attention of the entire student body as well as half of their colleagues. "Ah, it's lovely being Queen." Drakkara commenting jokingly over the show her mate and the potions master had made over her.

"An unplanned spectacle, but none the less, an effective one. You know as well as I do that the Slytherins will give you more respect now that they have my tacit approval. It's enough that I've been seen being polite to you, since I have yet to approve of any person to hold the DADA position." Severus replied, leaving unsaid the fact that to be anything more than polite to her would put him in danger, yet certain she understood his position.

Drakkara gave her colleague an almost unnoticeable nod in agreement and briefly touched his hand under the table to confirm her understanding of what he could not say. In silent accord, the Slytherins shifted slightly away from each other, using their body language to convey to anyone watching that their relationship was no closer than that of former housemates and casual acquaintances. Severus withdrew behind his stony mask and served himself breakfast, glaring around the room in his normal manner. Drakkara half turned toward Remus and engaged him in light conversation as they prepared plates of food for themselves and Snuffles. No one watching, and there were several pairs of eyes trained on them, saw anything other than what the trio wanted them to see.

About fifteen minutes later, the majority of the Gryffindor fifth years entered the hall, laughing merrily together over something. Harry left his friends at their table, asking Hermione to save him a seat, and walked up to the head table so he could speak with his godmother. "Morning Professor Vanimaer, Professor Lupin. Ready for todays classes?" The boy asked politely, smiling at his werewolf friend and sending a happy pulse of love to the raven-haired woman through their bond.

"Good morning Mr. Potter. We're as ready as we can be considering that you and your friends, as well as the Slytherins will be seeing us this afternoon. Did you need anything in particular or did you just want to say hello?" Remus replied with an amused smile at the boys' cheeky formality.

Harry nodded in answer to the question and turned slightly toward his godmother. "I wanted to ask if you'd take Siranev up to your class. She's hungry and I don't have anything for her in the dorms. I could pick her up at the end of class, is that okay?" He asked of the woman.

Drakkara agreed readily, holding out her hand for the small serpent. "Of course Harry. You can bring her to me whenever she gets hungry and I'll take care of feeding her so you don't have to keep insects and mice in the dorm. She'll probably want a heavy meal today; she's due for a shedding cycle. Is there anything else?"

The teen lifted his hand and held his wrist out over Drakkaras' to allow Siranev to slither onto the womans arm. When she was safely coiled about his godmothers' slender wrist Harry returned his hand to his side and replied, "Actually, she also wanted me to ask if she could attend classes with me. Apparently Nevilles' toad isn't much for conversation and she gets bored by herself."

The raven-haired woman leaned forward to peer around Severus and raised an eyebrow in question to the Headmaster, who she knew would have been listening. Albus nodded his agreement and said, "That would be fine Harry, but the same rules apply to your familiar as to Ms. Weasleys'. If Siranev causes a disturbance in any of your classes she will have to go to Professor Vanimaer, understood?" Harry quickly agreed to the Headmasters rules and gave the adults his thanks before retreating to the Gryffindor table for his breakfast.

The morning classes passed with a bit more ease than the previous day as everyone got back into the school year schedule. Remus and Drakkara spent their morning with the third and fourth year students while Severus happily intimidated the hell out of the first and second years, and the fifth year Gryffindor and Slytherin students went through their first classes without any casualties being sent down to Madam Pomphrey.

When the castles' residents gathered together again for lunch, there was a general sense of happy calm in the air. The students chatted together about class, copying notes, and working on homework as they ate. Up at the head table though, three particular professors and a certain dog were becoming tense as they talked about the upcoming DADA class and what Drakkara had to do at the end of it.

"Remy, I think you should be the one to ask him to stay after class. Let the other students think it was you who wanted to talk with him." Drakkara said, having just thought of the way to lessen suspicion from her Slytherin students. The tawny haired man requesting a moment of Dracos' time would most likely be taken by the boys' housemates as the professor wanting to make sure Draco wasn't going to cause problems in class because of the older mans' lycanthropy.

On the other side of the violet-eyed woman, Severus made the same deduction and voiced his agreement. Remus shrugged his assent, figuring he'd find out what the two Slytherin professors were thinking later. The werewolf didn't mind not understanding half of what his mate and the potions master said and didn't say to each other. From what he'd worked out, Slytherins must have constant migraines from all the stress in their lives. He much preferred to have their complicated but logical reasoning explained to him and just did as he was asked.

Just before the bell signaling the end of lunch rang, the three professors left the hall, ostensibly to make it to their classrooms before the students. "Drakkara, I hope you can convince the bloody boy that he's in danger. If it's even possible, he's worse today than he was yesterday. Do you have any ideas on how to cover for him until you can speak with him?" Severus asked after drawing his colleagues into a shadowed alcove near the staircases.

"We've been mixing our classes into pairs. I'll partner him with Harry and surround them with Gryffindors. Being near Harry might help him bring his shields up since he knows his housemates will be watching and putting the other Lions around them will keep the others from seeing too much if he slips again. Sound reasonable?" Drakkara replied, having thought the idea over when she noticed that Draco seemed less in control during the breakfast and lunch hours.

The potions master replied, "Yes, that should work well enough. Perhaps I will do the same in my classes, at least the upper years. Good luck Drakkara, Remus, I shall see you at dinner." The DADA professors said good-bye to their colleague and watched him stalk off, putting on a dramatic show for the students that had started to drift out of the hall.

Remus and Drakkara arrived in their classroom well ahead of the students. They had wanted this particular class to be fun as well as educational since their favorite group of teens would be in attendance. As the raven-haired woman waited near the door to greet the students, the werewolf used some handy levitation charms to get the teachers desks and worktable out of the way for the practical part of the lesson.

While the amber-eyed man worked, Drakkara watched the hall and held the two groups of teenagers outside when they arrived. When Remus called out that he was finished, she ushered the students into the classroom, asking them not to take their seats just yet. Leaving the children standing in between the rows of seats, she strode to the front of the classroom and gave her mate the signal to begin.

"Good afternoon class. For those of you who don't remember me, I'm Professor Lupin and before you ask, yes I am a werewolf, and no I will not harm you. My colleague is Professor Vanimaer. Those of you who can't pronounce her name, just address her as Professor and myself as Professor Lupin. Drakkara?" He turned the class over to the woman.

Drakkara gave the students an intense, scrutinizing gaze that made a few fidget nervously. "Welcome to Defense Against the Dark Arts. I hope you will find that classes with Professor Lupin and I are both educational and fun. This is an important year for all of you, as your OWL exams will determine the courses you take for the next two years. Most of our lessons this year will involve both theory and practical experience. That said, I will be calling your names in pairs so that you can be seated. The person I call your name with will be your partner for all practical lessons during the year."

She summoned a piece of parchment from her desk and began to call out names, indicating where the pairs would sit at the same time. There were not enough Slytherins to mix the houses completely, which suited Drakkaras' plan as she called out names, leaving the extra four Gryffindors and the certain Slytherin/Gryffindor pairing she wanted until last. " Mr. Zabini and Ms. Granger. Mr. Finnegan and Ms. Patil. Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Potter. Ms. Brown and Mr. Longbottom.

As the last handful of students seated themselves near the back of the room, Drakkara inwardly patted herself on the back. The seating arrangement placed Blaise Zabini directly in front of Draco with Hermione, Seamus, and Parvati completing the row. Lavender and Neville were on the outer edge of the last row, leaving Harry and Draco the inside seats.

Once they were all settled, Remus began the lesson. "Alright, let's begin. Please take out your books and writing supplies as well as your wands. Today we're going to be studying shielding charms and their use in duels. Before we start discussing the theory and use of magical shields though, Professor Vanimaer and I will give a short practical demonstration, and you will all have an opportunity to try the charm at the end of class."

"The charm for this lesson is the basic defensive shield. It lasts only long enough to deflect one spell. To cast the shield, you will draw your wand in an upward arch over your torso while reciting the incantation, which is 'Protego'. Watch closely as Professor Lupin and I will only use the charm once each." Drakkara stated before turning to face off with Remus who was standing on the other side of the room.

The two professors faced each other and raised their wands in smart salute before assuming the proper dueling position. The students watched the pair intently as they waited for the duel to start. Suddenly, Professor Lupin shouted, _"Rictusempra!"_ and a jet of blue light erupted from his wand, speeding toward their other professor.

Drakkara quickly drew her wand in an upward arch over her torso and called, _"Protego!"_ A yellowish light formed a shield around her just in time to deflect the tickling charm back at its caster.

Seeing his own spell coming back at him, Remus cast the same shielding charm his mate had and watched as the spell deflected toward Drakkara again. She casually spun to one side, letting the charm pass by and dissipate harmlessly against the wall. "Another good way to avoid being hexed," The raven-haired professor addressed her class, "Don't be there when it gets to you." She said with a candid smile, earning a chuckle from the teenagers.

The class went swiftly after the professors' demonstration. Remus directed the theoretical part of the lesson with Drakkara interjecting only to clarify or add to one of his points and ask questions of the students. At one point, a Slytherin boy asked if the professors could tell them of an instance when they had used a basic shield as a defense and the teachers made their students laugh wildly as they described using a pair of shields both to defend themselves from wayward hexes and knock out Professor Snape and Sirius Black with their own spells.

The last half-hour of the lesson was dedicated to practical application of what they'd learned. Each professor took half the class and directed them to the open areas in the front and back of the room. Before they began the practice Drakkara spoke in a firm voice. "Remember what I said at the beginning of class. The best defense against a hex if you can't get a shield up is to dodge it by moving out of its way. Don't be put off if your shields don't work the first few times, that is what practice is for. If the shields light doesn't appear in front of you simply step aside and let your partners spell pass you and hit the wall."

The womans violet eyes turned to lock with Draco Malfoys' as she made her last comments, hoping that her attention would be noted by the Slytherins. "Those of you casting the initial spell will use only the tickling charm that Professor Lupin and I demonstrated with. Should I hear any other incantation I will take copious amounts of points from the caster. That said, you may begin."

Her warning seemed to have an effect on the Slytherin students as they glanced at Draco with amusement. The silver-eyed boy now had permission from his housemates _not_ to use this opportunity to hex the crap out of his rival, which Drakkara doubted he would have done anyway seeing as he'd been giving Harry nervous sidelong glances throughout the class period.

Remus and Drakkara wandered around the classroom as the students practiced their shields, giving help and advice as well as casting the occasional counter charm when someone didn't manage to get a shield up or dodge in time. The werewolf had to spend at least five minutes with Neville Longbottom; correcting his wand movement and generally helping the boy get over his nervousness and expectation of failure. Eventually he managed to give the shy teen enough confidence to correctly cast the shield and moved on to the next pair, which happened to be Draco and Harry.

He watched the two boys' practice for a few moments, proud of their faultless shielding and dodging as they were doing both. Apparently they'd gotten bored after bouncing their original tickling charm back and forth for a few minutes and decided to work on dodging as well. "Wonderful job you two. Your shields are excellent, as is your agility, though I expected nothing less with your quidditch positions. Ten points to each of you; five for the shields and five for the dodging. Keep up the good work."

Harry grinned at the werewolf in thanks, and looked on curiously as Remus paused next to Malfoy and spoke quietly to the blond. "Mr. Malfoy, please stay back after class, I'd like to speak with you for a moment." Draco raised an eyebrow at his professor and gave the man a curt nod. The raven-haired teen couldn't help giving his rival a curious look as their professor walked over to the next pair of students and was surprised when the blond answered his look with a shrug that clearly said he didn't have a clue.

Ten minutes later, Drakkara glanced up at the clock and saw it was time to end the class. "Alright everyone, dodge your spells and get back to your seats please!" She called loudly and was pleased to see that most of the students had instinctively stepped away from their oncoming spells at the sound of her voice.

When the teens were seated again Drakkara joined Remus at the front of the room and addressed the class again. "You've all done a wonderful job today. I award twenty-five points each to Slytherin and Gryffindor for your attention and participation. Now, for your homework, I'd like each of you to complete an essay of no more than two feet of parchment. One foot dedicated to the shielding charm we worked on today, the second foot on another type of shield you would like to learn about. The essays will be due when we meet again Friday morning. Class dismissed."

The students filed out of the classroom, chatting excitedly about the lesson. Drakkara and Remus smiled to each other as a comment from Pansy Parkinson reached their ears. "I can't believe Dumbledore finally got competent teachers for this subject. I hope they don't end up dying or leaving because of whatever Potter gets up to this year. I'd like to actually pass my OWLs." The Slytherin girl said to her companions as they exited the room.

Harry and Draco were slow to get up and surprised when they both walked toward the front of the room rather than the back. "Lupin wants to talk to me…you?" The blond asked.

"Need to pick up my familiar." The emerald-eyed teen replied. The professors were standing together near the door to their office and gestured the boys inside when they approached. "Hey professors, that was a great class! Could do without the homework though." Harry said cheekily in greeting.

Both adults chuckled at the comment and Remus replied, "Teachers prerogative Mr. Potter. Remember though, you only have to write two feet, we have to read and grade two feet from each student. Who do you think has it worse?"

The raven-haired boy grimaced, "Eurgh, didn't think about it that way." He turned towards his godmother and asked, "Is Siranev ready to go?"

Drakkara nodded, "Yep, she's sleeping off her meal up in our suite. Remus, why don't you take Harry up to get her while I talk to Mr. Malfoy." She watched her mate and godson exit the room through the door to their suite, waiting until they were out of sight before turning abruptly to level a sharp look at the Slytherin prince. "Mr. Malfoy, take a seat." She ordered curtly, allowing her displeasure to be clearly heard.

The blond suppressed his urge to gulp in fear, feeling rather like a Gryffindor in front of Professor Snape and not knowing why he was being treated to the DADA professors' obvious anger. Doing as he'd been told, the boy sat in one of the chairs and watched the woman stalk around to sit across from him behind her desk. "Tell me Mr. Malfoy, does the idea of open political warfare in the Slytherin common room amuse you, or have you simply turned into a Gryffindor over the summer?"

This time, Draco couldn't hold back his reaction to the older womans words and spluttered for a few moments, trying to come up with some kind of answer. "Wh…What do you mean Professor?" He finally managed.

A midnight hued eyebrow arched in response. "If you were any kind of Slytherin, you would know what I meant and we wouldn't need to have this conversation in the first place. I'll be frank Mr. Malfoy; I have observed you closely since our first meeting on the train. Your masks are almost completely non existent, your inner turmoil waving about like a flag for anyone to see."

"I have already deduced that you are questioning where your loyalties lie in the coming war. I have also noticed that you are being watched by certain people, and if you do not re establish your masks and keep your emotions behind them, those people will make the same conclusion I have as to your thoughts and report them to your father and Lord Voldemort. Is this something you would like to see happen Mr. Malfoy?" She finished, giving the now pale and sweating teen an even gaze.

Draco shook his head vigorously, denying that he wanted to see the chaos that would stem from his lack of control. "No Professor, I swear that is not something I want to happen, neither is the war you asked about. I…I just didn't realize I was being so open. I mean, I let my mask slip a little on purpose, for one person, but I didn't know others were seeing through it too."

The violet-eyed woman allowed her expression to soften, offering a little sympathy to the confused teen. "Mr. Malfoy, being a Slytherin is a job unto itself, it is understandable that you might slip a little under these circumstances. But understandable or not, you cannot allow your masks to stay down. I've heard that your housemates laud you as their Silver Prince. That is a title that must be earned, which tells me that you are a true Slytherin. You can use that Mr. Malfoy, to take control over your housemates, and as a reminder to maintain the demeanor that earned you your title in the first place."

Drakkara paused for a moment to take a deep breath and reach into her desk drawer. She removed a framed photograph and handed it to the teen. "This is you Professor, you and my mother." The boy gave his professor a curious look.

"Yes, from our fifth year Halloween ball. The Silver Princess and Ebony Queen of Slytherin. I know what your position in our house is Draco, because I once held it myself. Being the most powerful among a powerful group of people is both difficult and dangerous, especially when you hold beliefs different to those around you. You know what the consequences will be for yourself and for Slytherin House as a whole if you don't regain your control. I have faith that you are up to the task, so I will leave you to it with my hope for your success and an offer of my aid should you need it." The woman finished her speech and sat back, waiting for the boys' reaction.

Her answer came more from the blondes actions than his words. Draco sat up straight in his chair and dropped his head for a moment. When he raised it again, his formidable cold mask was firmly in place, giving away nothing of what was going on under the surface. Impressed, Drakkara inclined her head slightly to acknowledge his achievement. "You have my thanks Professor Vanimaer, for alerting me to the situation. I shall rectify it immediately, and I will keep your offer in mind should I need your assistance in the future. If we are finished here, and if you could provide me with a note for Professor Flitwick, I will take my leave. I believe your next class is about to convene."

Right about the time he finished, Remus and Harry came back into the room. The werewolf had kept the boy upstairs chatting, following the conversation going on below them with his extra sensitive hearing. "Well Drakkara, Mr. Potter has retaken custody of his rather lumpy and sleepy familiar. If you and Mr. Malfoy are finished I think we should let them get on their way. Filius isn't fond of latecomers to his classes." The tawny-haired man said with a smile for the boys.

"Certainly Remus, I was just about to write out a note for them to excuse their tardiness. Why don't you go ahead and start seating our Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, I'll join you in a moment." Drakkara responded, taking a piece of parchment from her desk and quickly penning a note to the tiny charms professor. She handed the note over to Draco with a smile for both teens. "Off you go boys, I'll see you in class on Friday."

As the two teens made their way up the two flights of stairs and down the corridors that lead to the charms classroom Draco was thinking hard. 'Merlin, there'll never be a better time to talk to him. All our friends are already in class, as is anyone who might be watching me. Damnit Malfoy, think of something to say to him!' Remembering why the other boy had stayed after class gave him an opening. "Hey Potter, I thought that snowy owl was your familiar, did you get another one or something?"

Harry looked over at the blond who'd been constantly confusing him over the last two days. "Malfoy, I gotta say you're really freaking me out. Your mouth is acting normal, well up till now that is, but what's with the looks you keep giving me? And yeah, I did get another familiar. Kara, that's Professor Vanimaer to you, gave me a snake for my birthday."

"How come you're so close with her? You do know she used to be a Slytherin right? Can I see the snake?" Draco asked, trying to avoid answering the bespectacled teens' questions for a few more minutes. There was an empty classroom just ahead where he could explain his behavior, if Harry would listen that is.

The raven-haired teen rolled his eyes in exasperation but answered anyway. "If you must know, she's my godmother and yes I know she was a Slytherin. She was also my mothers' best friend." He explained as he turned the cuff of his robe up to expose the beautiful serpent sleeping on his wrist. "Her name is Siranev."

Draco stopped walking beside the closed door of the room he wanted to use. "Look Potter, we're already late for charms and we have a note. Can I talk to you for a minute in here? If you're worried I'll hex you or something you can hold my wand, I just really need to talk to you." The silver eyed boy allowed his masks to fall again, exposing a pleading expression.

Harry nodded and opened the door, leading the way in. He didn't trust the Slytherin, but was too curious to ignore the blondes' request. "Make it quick Malfoy, I don't want to be too much later to class."

Sighing with relief, Draco closed the door behind himself and replied, "Yeah, me either. Too many questions all around if we're really late. I want to explain those looks I've been giving you, but we don't have time right now. Is there any chance you'd be able to meet with me somewhere later? The offer about holding my wand while we talk stands if that's what it'll take to get you to come. You know it's got to be important for me to be standing here practically begging you to meet me, so will you?"

'You know what the muggles say about curiosity and the cat Harry.' The cautious part of his mind warned, but another part replied in a much louder voice, 'Yeah but remember, satisfaction brought it back!' The Gryffindor boy groaned and ran a hand through his perpetually messy hair as curiosity won out. "Bloody hell, you realize its things like this that start me on the path into deep shit, right Malfoy? I'll meet you…let's see, where's a good place, somewhere nobody in their right mind goes? Ah, of course, idiot. I'll meet you outside the second floor girls loo at eight-thirty alright?"

"A girls loo Potter? You think a _girls_ loo is the best place for two _boys_ to meet in private? It's fine with me, but if we get caught and I end up dead or in detention because of it, I'll hex you within an inch of your precious life, no matter how badly I need to talk to you." Draco replied with a golden eyebrow raised curiously.

The raven-haired teen nodded and walked toward the door as he said, "Yeah, most private place I know of once we get rid of the ghost. No one ever goes into Moaning Myrtles' bathroom. Now come on, let's get to class before Flitwick has kittens over how late we are."

The silver-eyed boy followed, shaking his head in amused exasperation. "Only you Potter, only you." Having gotten the last word in, Draco broke into a jog along with Harry in order to make it to class in less time. He mentally checked that his masks were firmly in place again, and only let his smile show on the inside.

Charms class and the dinner hour passed without any major happenings. After they'd finished dinner the Gryffindor trio went up to their common room where Hermione insisted that the boys work on the assignments they'd neglected to do the previous night. Harry and Ron promptly stuck Angelina Johnson with the blame for their falling behind on homework.

The seventh year chaser had been made captain of the team and was taking her job as Oliver Woods' replacement very seriously. She'd cornered Harry and the rest of the team about scheduling practices as well as tryouts for the open keeper position. Once Ron got involved in the conversation, they had ended up talking quidditch tactics for the rest of the night.

Knowing he needed to appease his studious friend so that he would be able to sneak away to meet with Malfoy in an hour or so, Harry buckled down with his homework assignments for Divination and CoMC, thinking they would be easy to finish in his free hour. At eight o'clock, he looked over at Hermione to see if she might let him off. The girl was fuming because Ron had taken off a half-hour earlier, claiming he needed to get some fresh air after tackling the first part of his Divination assignment.

Putting on his best puppy dog eyes, Harry spoke in a slightly pleading tone. "'Mione, I finished my Div and CoMC homework. Would you be mad at me if I took off? I feel like wandering around the castle for a while. Thought I'd say hi to some of the ghosts and portraits, they always know what's going on around the castle and I wouldn't mind knowing what the Slytherins are up to."

Hermione shook her head and smiled in amusement. "Go on then, I won't be mad. At least you actually did some work. Just promise me that you'll start your potions essay when you come back. After what happened to your practical you really need a good grade on it. Stupid Malfoy and the Slytherins, I bet you'd actually be good at potions if they didn't always mess you up." She said, frowning as she remembered how the foul-mouthed blond had sabotaged Harrys' potion.

"I doubt it 'Mione. Even if we got rid of the snakes, there's still Snape. I promise I'll get to work on the essay when I come back, even though the greasy git will probably give it a zero for having my name on it. Have fun with your Arithmancy equations." He replied, gathering his books to take them up to his dorm room.

As he was putting the textbooks and rolls of parchment in his trunk, Harry decided that he might as well change into something more comfortable than his uniform so he could at least be comfortable while Malfoy said whatever he needed to say. He put on a tight fitting royal blue tee shirt and a pair of black jeans, then slipped his feet into a pair of tennis shoes.

Siranev was still sleeping, coiled around his right wrist. He snapped the black leather wand sheath Alastor Moody had given him around his left forearm and secured his wand in it before turning to leave the room. On second thought though, the boy turned back to his trunk and pulled out a bundle of exquisitely patterned and silky material. 'Can't be too careful.' Harry thought as he tucked his fathers invisibility cloak under his arm.


	14. Chapter 13

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Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents

Author: Sinayah

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc.

Authors Note: As always, I want to thank my partner in crime Zenura Ravenscar. Without her support I would've never had the courage to write a single sentence. I'd also like to thank the dedicated fans who gave me so many wonderful reviews for my other fics. I hope you enjoy this as much as the others.

Chapter 13

After saying a quick goodbye to Hermione in the common room, Harry left the tower and walked down the corridor to the great staircase. He made his way down to the second floor, passing a few Ravenclaws on the way. After receiving a warning from Terry Boot, one of the Ravenclaw prefects, to be back in his dorm by curfew at nine-thirty, he decided it would be best to don the invisibility cloak and thereby avoid anyone who might be lingering near Myrtles' bathroom, well besides Malfoy anyway.

A few minutes later, he turned a corner and saw the silvery blond Slytherin leaning nonchalantly against the wall a few feet from the door to the bathroom. Seeing no one around, Harry slid the cloak off as he approached his rival. "Hey Malfoy, get here early? Let's get out of the hall before anyone sees us together. Here, put this on and follow me in. Stay quiet though, I'm gonna have to talk to Myrtle for a few minutes before I can con her into leaving." He said casually, holding his precious cloak out to the other boy.

"You…your head…Shrieking Shack. Bloody hell, where'd you get an invisibility cloak? No, don't tell me now. Wait till we're inside, I really don't need to get caught talking to you without hexes or at least insults being exchanged." Draco replied, forcing himself to get over the shock of realizing how the Gryffindor managed to break so many rules without getting caught.

Harry chuckled over his rivals' amazement and watched him disappear under the cloak. The raven-haired boy led the way as they walked up to the door and opened it. He held it open a moment before going in, feeling the Slytherin brush against him as the blond preceded him. As soon as the heavy door closed behind him, Harry saw Myrtle poke her head through the door of her toilet stall. "Hey Myrtle, how've you been?" He asked, forcing the pleasant greeting when he really wanted to groan. He'd hoped the ghost might be down in the lake or spying in the prefects' bathroom rather than moping around her toilet.

The ghost of the chubby Hufflepuff girl came out of her stall and smiled at the bespectacled boy. "Hi Harry." She giggled shyly. "I've been okay I guess, I'm dead after all, I don't change. How are you?"

The Gryffindor attempted a charming smile. "I'm good, thanks for asking. And thanks for your help last year by the way, I never got a chance to come see you afterwards with everything going on." He replied, trying to think of a way to get the ghost out of her bathroom in a hurry.

Myrtle ducked her head and hid her face behind her oily looking pigtails, giggling again in an annoyingly high pitched voice. "You came all the way down here just to thank me? That's so nice Harry, I never get any company in here. No one wants to talk to poor dead Myrtle." She pouted a bit after making the last comment.

"Umm, yeah that's the main reason I came down. There's another reason as well, but I don't think I should be asking you for another favor after all you did for me last year." Harry replied, turning his most intense puppy eyes on the ghost and adding what he hoped was a shy smile to complete the effect.

It seemed to work as the chubby ghost cooed at him and said, "Go ahead Harry, I don't mind doing things for you. You're the nicest person I've met in fifty years."

The raven-haired teen ducked his head and peered up at her while rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, umm, things have been kinda rough since what happened at the end of last year. My friends, you remember Ron and Hermione? They're being really smothering, won't leave me alone. I don't suppose you'd mind wandering down to the lake or up to the prefects' bathroom for a while? I really need some quiet time to myself so I can think, maybe relax a little."

His shy, pleading look and whining speech caused a lot more cooing over him from Myrtle and Harry swore he heard Malfoy trying to stifle his laughter. "Oh, poor Harry! I never did like those friends of yours. They're so mean, not letting you have some time to yourself. Of course I'll let you use my bathroom to be alone. No one ever comes in here, so you won't be interrupted. I'll go down and see what the merpeople are doing. I think I've finally got the hang of their language now. Come back whenever you like Harry." She said and waved goodbye before she swooped back through her stall door and down the pipes.

The emerald-eyed boy approached the stall and cautiously pushed open the door. Seeing that Myrtle had indeed gone down the pipes, he flushed the toilet to ensure her speedy travel and let out a deeply relieved sigh. "Oh thank Merlin! If I'd had to do that for much longer I might have run screaming. Be warned Malfoy, Myrtle is the biggest pervert in this castle. She likes to spy on you prefects while you're bathing so I suggest checking for her in the pipes before you undress in the bathroom."

"I'll take that suggestion Potter. No bloody way am I going to put on a show for that pig ugly ghost. I was caught between laughing and puking the whole time you were talking to her. I'm surprised even she fell for that load of dragon dung you were giving her. Never try for a career as an actor, you truly suck at it." Draco replied, sliding the invisibility cloak off and draping it over his arm.

Harry shrugged, coming out of the stall and hopping up to sit on one of the sinks, specifically the one that covered the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets. "Well Malfoy, you wanted to meet with me privately, and I'm here. If you need more assurance of privacy feel free to put locking and silencing charms on the door, but trust me no ones gonna come in."

Feeling paranoid after what he'd been told by Professor Vanimaer, not to mention severely nervous about talking to Harry Potter about his problems, Draco drew his wand and cast the charms to ensure their privacy. He turned toward the Gryffindor and offered his wand, handle out, since he'd made the offer earlier. Harry waved off the gesture, "Forget it Malfoy, I don't think you're going to try and hex me. It wouldn't fit with those damned confusing looks you've been aiming at me lately. Just pull up a sink, floor, wall or hell even a toilet and start spilling your guts."

The blond shook his head and smirked a little. "Way to help me relax Potter. Pull up a toilet indeed. Merlin, if only I were the type to spill my guts, it might make this easier. Do me a favor Potter, tell me why you chose this place of all the spots we could've met in this castle, give me a minute to collect my thoughts."

Deciding to oblige the other boy, Harry answered, "That's easy Malfoy. Besides being a place where I could ensure our privacy, this place was made for secrets, if you know what I mean."

Silver eyes widened considerably. "You mean…it's in _here?_ The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets is hidden in the bloody _girls loo?_" An incredulous look graced the blond teens' aristocratic features. Draco could not believe the founder of his house would hide a secret chamber in a bathroom of all places, let alone a girls bathroom.

Harry nodded and replied, "Right under my arse Malfoy. How did you think Myrtle got to be a ghost? This sink is covering a tunnel. Tunnel goes almost straight down and connects with another tunnel. At the end of that tunnel, once you pass the partial cave in and the fifty-foot snake skin, is a round steel door. Through the door is Salazar Slytherins legendary Chamber of Secrets."

Draco shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you've actually been down there. People have been looking for it for centuries and you managed to find it within a year of learning it existed. Hell, the two youngest Weasleys have been down there, but no Slytherin has since whoever opened it fifty odd years ago."

"And that brings us around to what I think you want to talk to me about. It was Voldemort who opened the chamber fifty years ago, when he was a Slytherin sixth year prefect by the name of Tom Marvolo Riddle, the only half blood wizard to be placed in Slytherin for over two hundred years. I checked that after I recovered from the crap that went on down there." Harry said, trying to lead the Slytherin into making whatever confession was on his mind.

The silver-eyed teen nodded, remaining quiet for a few moments to take in the new information. "Yeah, the Dark Lord has a lot to do with why I wanted to talk to you. You know what happened at the end of last term better than anyone; but I know what the snake faced bastard has been doing since then, seeing as he's been doing a lot of it at Malfoy Manor."

Draco sighed and lowered his head to rest in his hands. "My father always told me that a Malfoy bows to no man Harry, but he does, I saw him. I watched my father, the great and powerful Lucius Valerian Malfoy, crawl on his knees to kiss the hem of Voldemorts' robes. I listened to him scream in agony from the Cruciatus, and thank that insane, moldering corpse for paying attention to him."

He paused, dragging his head up to look deeply into the emerald eyes of his Gryffindor rival. "I can't do that Harry, I don't even want to try. I know I'm a bastard, a pain in the arse, hell you could call me a Dark wizard and it wouldn't be far off the mark. But I'm not a Death Eater. I don't know where I want to stand in this bloody war, except that I don't want to stand by my father and his master."

Harry saw the sincerity in the silver eyes of his rival, as well as the fear and uncertainty. "That's a good thing Malfoy…Draco. You might not know what you want exactly, but you know what you don't want. I don't know why you wanted to tell me this, or how I can help you, but I'll try. I imagine your housemates won't be too pleased when they find out, not to mention your father."

The blond shook his head sadly, "Not _when_ Harry, _if_. I might as well commit suicide if my housemates learn about this, because they'll tell their parents. Their parents will tell my father, and Lucius will pull me home before you can say oops. He'll either have me marked immediately or torture and kill me. If I manage to hide myself away before he can grab me, I'll be disowned and my housemates will have carte blanche on my life. It gets worse from there, but in any case, I'll be dead." Draco finished his explanation and leaned back against the wall, sliding down the smooth surface to sit in a tightly curled ball on the floor.

The emerald-eyed teen hadn't realized how dangerous it was for Draco to feel the way he did. He ran his fingers through his messy black hair in frustration, unable to think of a way to help the blond. "Merlin, this is a mess. I'm no good at planning Draco, everything I've done, all the bloody adventures have been typical Gryffindor recklessness. I don't know how to help you, I don't know what to do to keep you safe from the other Slytherins, let alone your father and Voldemort."

Draco whipped his head up from where it was resting on his knees, amazed at the other boys' frustration over his inability to do something to help. "Don't you see Harry? You're already helping me. There's no one else I could have said all this to and had them believe me. Just letting me say the words out loud would've been enough, even if you thought I was lying or that it was some scheme to get you in trouble."

"Listening to you talk isn't going to keep you alive and unmarked Draco. One slip up from either of us gets you marked, disowned, or dead." Harry stated flatly, angry that he couldn't think of some plan, however wild or impossible, to get the blond out of the mess he was in.

The silver-eyed boy nodded dejectedly. "Yeah, that's the bloody truth, and I've already slipped. You know what Professor Vanimaer wanted to talk to me about today? She sat me down and warned me that my masks were down and people were noticing something was wrong with me. She knew I was thinking about changing sides. I let the masks drop a few times on purpose because I wanted you to see what was going on in my head, but I honestly didn't think anyone else saw."

The blond was angry now; angry with himself for making things worse by slipping when he should've been cementing his hold on his housemates. Unable to sit still, he leapt up from the floor to pace as he ranted. "Professor Vanimaer reminded me of the consequences if anyone found out I wasn't Little Lucius anymore and warned me to get my act together. Damnit, I'm the Slytherin Prince, she shouldn't have had to tell me how to behave like it!"

"And now I know I've fucked up royally, I have to work extra hard to fix the problem and make sure no one knows I'm not a Death Eater in Training. I have to be an even worse prat to you and your friends, make your lives as miserable as I can to save my own arse." He stopped abruptly, right in front of the raven-haired teen. His shoulders slumped and he looked at the other boy with stormy gray eyes that filled with frustrated tears against his will. "I don't know if I can do it Harry. I don't know if I can keep up the act anymore. I'm too confused, too unsure of myself, and too tired."

Harrys' heart went out to the other boy as he watched Draco fight his tears and lose, letting them slip silently down his pale cheeks. Unwilling to let the blond drown in his misery alone, he slid down from the sink and took the single step needed to bring him close enough so that he could wrap his arms around the Slytherin.

Draco tensed up when he felt the other boys' arms encircle him. He wasn't used to being comforted, and couldn't remember receiving a hug from anyone since he was a small child. The Gryffindor was murmuring in his ear, nonsense sounds that were nonetheless soothing. Sighing in defeat, the blond relaxed into the embrace, resting his head against Harrys' shoulder and tentatively looping his own arms around the raven-haired teens' waist.

As the silver-eyed boy gave in completely and let his tears soak into Harrys' shirt, the slightly taller Gryffindor tightened his hold and rubbed Dracos' back in a soothing way. Relying on his experiences being comforted by Drakkara, Sirius, and Mrs. Weasley to get him through his first time being the one to provide some much needed comfort, Harry recalled his godmothers favorite way of soothing him.

Still holding the Slytherin close, Harry walked backwards until his back hit the wall. He slid down to the floor with the blond in his arms, settling Draco onto his lap. The smaller boy seemed unaware of the change in location, moving only with the green-eyed teens' urging. They sat for an interminable length of time, even after the blondes tears had ceased.

"You okay Draco?" The raven-haired teen asked when it seemed as if the other boy might have fallen asleep against his shoulder.

The blond nodded into Harrys' neck, embarrassed but unwilling to move. "Other than feeling like a pansy you mean? I understand why girls say crying helps now, I actually feel a little better. Embarrassed beyond belief, but better all the same."

Chuckling a little, Harry replied, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Kara has had me in this same position a couple times this summer. I have nightmares a lot, and she takes care of me when I wake up. I'm glad you feel better Draco, cause you can't give up. We'll get you through this somehow, you just have to keep up the act until we work out what to do."

Draco lifted his head from the Gryffindors' shoulder so he could look at the boys' face. "I like the sound of that, _we'll_ get me through this. You really mean it don't you? Even after all I've done to you and your friends over the years; you're still going to help me now. I think that, above anything else, is what made me decide to do this. Somehow I knew that if I came to you, you'd do whatever you could to help me."

The raven-haired boy smiled at his former rival, "I'd like to think that I'd help anyone who came to me with a problem no matter who they were, but I really doubt I'd even listen to them. Believe it or not, what I said the other day in CoMC wasn't true. You've been an important part of my life since first year. I could always count on you to be your normal nasty self no matter what was going on around me. Hell I can't even say that about my best friend."

"You know, that's what I wanted to be back in first year. I may have acted like a prat, but I was sincere about wanting to be your friend. It hurt so badly when you rejected me for Weasley, all I could do to hide it was become your worst enemy; so I did everything I could to get you in trouble. I didn't realize at the time that you were already neck deep in your first adventure." Draco responded, remembering the pain of having his friendship declined.

The blond looked down at his hands. They were bigger now than they had been, as he was. The slight amount of baby fat he'd sported back then was gone, revealing long, fine boned hands. "I wonder how different things would have been for both of us if you'd taken my hand that day, but we'll never know." He looked back up at the other boy, locking his eyes with the sparking green ones. "Harry, if I offered it again, would you take it this time?"

Harry nodded and replied, "Yes Draco, I'd take it this time. Seems a kinda needless gesture though since I've been sitting here holding you in my lap for the last half-hour while you had your first ever crying jag. But if you want to go through the motions it's fine with me."

The Slytherin gave a bright smile. "Yeah it is rather unneeded. How about you just let me sit here for a while longer instead. You make a comfortable chair Harry." He said jokingly and resettled his head against the other boys' shoulder.

"Go right ahead, oh great Slytherin Prince. Never mind that your bony arse is digging into my thigh and my legs are numb. Just don't go to sleep okay? We'd better go back to our dorms soon. You might have the excuse of prefect duties, but I don't. I'm gonna have to sneak back up to the tower under my cloak and hope Hermione doesn't give me holy hell for being out after curfew and coming back too late to work on my potions essay like I promised I would." Harry complained jokingly, though he made a point of shifting his legs under the blonde until blood started returning to the neglected limbs.

Draco didn't bother to move so he could glare at the brunette, though his tone was quite haughty when he responded, "Many thanks, oh lowly Gryffindor. And my arse is not bony. Hey, did you bring your snake down with you? I didn't get a good look at her earlier. You said her name was Sirinav or something like that right?"

Harry shifted his right arm forward from where it rested loosely around the Slytherins' back. Draco was slender enough that he could bring his wrist around the boys' body and into view. Siranev was still fast asleep, which was normal for her after a big meal. "Yeah I brought her. I've got permission now to take her anywhere I want, even to classes, so I doubt she'll be leaving her favorite spot for a while. And her name is Siranev, but I shorten it to Sira sometimes."

The silver-eyed boy looked at the snake, closely examining her coloration. He reached out a hand and gently stroked his fingertips over her smooth skin. "She's beautiful Harry. She looks like a piece of jewelry lying there. In fact, she looks like a smaller version of those cool looking armbands Professor Vanimaer was wearing today."

The bespectacled teen burst out laughing at the comment, and explained between chuckles. "You don't know how right you are Draco. Those 'armbands' are Siranevs' parents, Narasi and Vrisan. I told you Kara gave her to me, the other two are her familiars. Apparently she's had them since she was just a little girl."

The two boys continued talking for a long while, enjoying the newfound friendship and camaraderie between them. Harry explained a little more about their mysterious new DADA professor, which increased the Slytherin boys' trust in the woman. In return, Draco confided that Drakkara had offered to help him if he decided he wanted help with the mess he was in.

The Gryffindor urged his new friend to take her offer, claiming that if anyone could keep Draco safe and unmarked, it was his godmother and the people she was connected with. The Slytherin said he would think about it, and that Harry was the second person to claim to trust the DADA professor with his life. The pair arranged for a way to signal to each other that they needed to meet; deciding it was not safe for the blond to drop his masks at all.

Instead, if Draco needed to talk to him, he would only make nasty comments at Harry that day, rather than at the trio as a whole. If Harry were the one who wanted to talk, he would say something in Parseltongue within the blondes hearing. They also decided that it wouldn't be a good idea to keep using Moaning Myrtles' bathroom as a meeting place. After all, the ghost might become suspicious if Harry kept coming in and asking her to leave.

The silver-eyed boy suggested a room he'd found deep in the dungeons behind a portrait of some unnamed wizard who was always completely sotted and would accept any password you came up with. Harry agreed that it would do, and said that the next time they met, Harry would be waiting outside the entrance to the Slytherin common room at eight-thirty under his invisibility cloak and would follow Draco to the room.

By the time the boys decided it was time for them to leave, it was ten forty-five, far past curfew for ordinary students. As a prefect, Draco could be out of the dorms until eleven-thirty. That gave him plenty of time to make a cursory round of his scheduled patrolling areas on the second and third floors, and still make it back to the dungeons on time.

Draco was extremely reluctant to leave the warmth of Harrys' arms. The Slytherin had never felt so content as he did while sitting in the other boys' lap, held in a loose embrace. He wondered absently if the Gryffindor would hold him again some time, or if the special closeness they'd shared over the last few hours would fade into a normal type of friendship like the one Harry shared with the Weasley boy.

With a sigh of disappointment, the blonde removed Harrys' left arm from around his stomach and crawled out of his lap, pausing for a moment as the blood rushed back into his derriere and wincing sympathetically when the Gryffindor groaned over the pins and needles rushing through his lower body. "Merlin Draco, I hope this room of yours has furniture." The brunette said through clenched teeth as he forced himself up onto his knees.

"It does. I think it used to be a professors chamber or something because it's actually a suite with a bedroom, bathroom, and living room." Draco replied as he forced himself to his feet and held a hand out to the boy he'd been using as a chair for the last hour or so.

Harry took the offered hand and let the Slytherin help him to his feet. "Good, I don't think my body would appreciate spending another evening on a cold stone floor." Limping slightly, the bespectacled teen walked over to the row of sinks and retrieved his invisibility cloak.

The boys walked across the room together and paused in front of the door. Draco watched his new, not to mention only, friend disappear from view beneath the cloak, feeling a pang of sorrow without having the proof his eyes gave that the Gryffindor was really there. He reached out a hand and encountered Harrys' chest. He followed the solid form down and over to the side until he was grasping the other boys' hand. "Harry, thank you for tonight. I don't think you realize what it means for me to have someone I can talk to, someone I can be around without constantly worrying about what I can and can't say and do. So, thank you. For being my friend."

The Gryffindors' hand tightened around his for a moment and Harrys' voice came out of the not so thin air. "Any time Draco. That's what friends are for. Now come on, put on your game face and go terrorize some snogging Hufflepuffs. We've got three classes together tomorrow, so get a good nights sleep. You're going to have to be especially nasty in front of your housemates."

"I know, and I'm not looking forward to it. Just remember that I don't really mean it okay?" Draco gave a heavy sigh and squeezed his friends' hand once more before letting go. "Here goes nothing. What is it the muggles say? Oh yeah, let's get this show on the road. Goodnight Harry."

Harry returned the goodnight and watched as Draco disappeared. The Slytherins' body remained, but Draco was nowhere to be found. Instead, standing in his place was Malfoy, the icy cold, sneering, posturing, and generally nasty Silver Prince of Slytherin. Without another word, the blond opened the door and stalked through it with predatory grace, and if Harry hadn't been quick to follow, the heavy wooden door would've hit him on the arse on his way out.

Severus Snape was on his way back to the dungeons after having participated in the second stage of brewing the Lupins Hope with Drakkara. He'd made it down to the second floor corridor that was the fastest path back to his part of the lower levels. Dressed in his normal black robes, it was easy for him to sink back into the shadows and remain unnoticed when the door to Moaning Myrtles' bathroom opened up ahead and Draco Malfoy stalked out.

'Now what in blazes was the boy doing in there?' The potions master thought as he watched the blond come towards him and pass by without seeing his head of house. Severus noticed with satisfaction that the boys' mask was firmly in place, Draco was practically projecting the words 'I am an evil, nasty man. You matter less to me than a pile of dung I wish to avoid stepping in, and I would sooner hex you than look at you.'

The onyx-eyed man suppressed a chuckle, but allowed himself a small smirk of pleasure. Draco had his masks back up, but they'd both changed and become better. Rather than copying his fathers' icily superior mask of indifference, the boy was finally forming his own face for the public, and that mask rather closely resembled Severus' own.

The potions master remained in the shadows for a few moments after Draco passed him by, and was rewarded for his caution with the answer as to why his Slytherin prefect had been in the girls bathroom. A soft squeaking noise was coming up the hall behind the blond, in the rhythm of footsteps, though not a thing could be seen to explain the noise.

'Well, it seems we won't need to approach Potter about a truce with Draco; somehow they've managed it on their own. Wonderful, I must fire call Drakkara and the mutts when I get back to my chambers and let them know. Now, hurry up and get lost Potter before I cease being pleased with you and decide to take points!' Severus thought, for once happy with the Gryffindor Golden Boys' rule breaking.

The squeaking footsteps faded around the corner as the invisible boy headed for the staircases that would lead him back to the Lions Den. A moment later the tall black clad form of the potions master separated itself from the shadows and walked quickly down the corridor to a hidden staircase that lead into the dungeons and his chambers. After muttering the password, "Slytherin Violet" Severus entered his suite of rooms, closed the door tightly and warded it against intrusion, and let a pleased smile cross his face over the accomplishments of the day.

Since he'd already partaken of a nightcap in the DADA suite with his colleagues, the potions master didn't make his way to the liquor cabinet as he usually would. He'd found years ago that a shot of brandy or scotch did wonders for his sleep, and now realized that it worked even better if taken whist engaging in pleasant conversation after a few hours of potion making.

After removing the bulky teaching robes, as well as his boots and socks, Severus finally relaxed his demeanor. He walked over to the fireplace and lit the wood with his wand as he knelt on the disused cushion and threw a pinch of floo powder into the flames. Calling out the desired destination of his call, his head and shoulders were engulfed in green fire.

No one seemed to be present in the living room when his vision cleared, so he spoke loudly. "You three had better not already be in bed! Get over here, I've something to tell you."

Apparently, the trio had been at least preparing to go to bed, since they all came in wearing their nightclothes. Severus noted absently that Drakkara still had legs one could aptly name Avada and Kedavra as the woman came into the living room donning a knee length robe over a rather short nightgown. He waited until all three of his colleagues were kneeling around the fireplace. "I thought you might be interested in hearing about something I came across on my way down here." He said by way of a greeting.

The dark-eyed professor told them about his encounter with a well-masked Draco Malfoy and the invisible, though certainly not stealthy Harry Potter. The trio were just as pleased as Severus that the two rivals seemed to have come to a truce on their own, rather than at the urging of their professors. They spoke for about fifteen minutes on the new development, wondering how they could help the boys pursue their new friendship. Deciding on a wait and see approach at least until the weekend, the four conspirators said goodnight and retired to their beds, smiling over the actions of the two teenagers under their care.


	15. Chapter 14

Title: Harry Potter and the Queen of Serpents Author: Sinayah ****

Distribution: Just Ask

Rating: PG 13 for now but will move up to R in later chapters.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything except the plot and the original characters, creatures, etc. The language Quenya and most anything elven related is the creation of J.R.R. Tolkein.

Authors Note: Wow, new authors note, don't think I've ever done this before. Anyway, for those who just want to get on with the story, just consider this random author musings and skip it. I want to thank all the kind readers who've reviewed this fic, you know who you are so I won't list everyone. Those who have reviewed are, in my mind, the best readers. So, if you've read the story up to this point and enjoyed it at least a little, do the poor author (me) a favor and leave me a little tidbit of response to it, please? I'm not like many authors who hold the next chapter hostage for reviews, but I truly do want to know people are reading and enjoying my work so please, review.

Chapter 14

The next few days served as proof positive that Drakkaras' warning to the Slytherin Prince had gotten through. Draco Malfoy seemed to be in top form, evoking fear in the lower years of all houses, annoyance among the upper year Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs, and fury at his continued existence from Gryffindor house as a whole, with one exception that went unmarked by his housemates.

Through years of observation and practice, Draco knew how to get on the last nerve of anyone in the school important enough to merit his attention. Though he mainly concentrated his efforts on the Gryffindor Trio, certain significant members of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff felt the force of his superiority complex, as did the lower years of all houses.

His first class on the morning after he spoke with Harry was Transfiguration, which warranted a very careful assault on his new friend in light of having the Head of Gryffindor house as that classes professor. Though he really did not want to do it, he launched into a verbal assault against Harry, Ron, and Hermione outside the class that even made some of his own housemates internally wince and thank the gods they weren't on the receiving end of the blondes' razor tongue.

Draco noted that for his part, Harry played the scene out wonderfully, especially considering the brunettes' horrible acting skills. The bespectacled teen had appeared to fight against his temper, trying to hold on to the trios' new motto of 'ignore him and maybe he'll go away', and held his redheaded friend back from launching a physical assault the moment Draco called him Weasel.

Before the Slytherin could progress in his tirade enough to merit Harry releasing his hold on his temper, Professor McGonagall had appeared and put a halt to Dracos' assault. That didn't stop the Slytherin long however, and the fifth years left the class with Weasley sporting silver and green hair and Slytherin house minus fifteen points.

The nasty remarks continued at points through Herbology and CoMC, though the amount of abuse hurled at Ron and Hermione lessened until the final meeting between the four legendary enemies was directed at Harry alone, indicating to the raven-haired teen that his blonde rival wanted to meet with him that night. The Gryffindor consented with a few words hissed in Parseltongue as he shoved Draco out of his way so that the trio could enter the great hall for dinner.

None of this went unnoticed by those who were watching, either obviously or out of the corner of their eyes. In the staff room, both Minerva McGonagall and Floriana Sprout commiserated over Mr. Malfoys' vehemence in their classes, joined by Professor Grubbly-Plank when the woman came up to the castle for dinner. Only Severus Snape gave an outward sign of pleasure over this, though he caught an amused smirk from both DADA professors.

As arranged during their argument before dinner, Harry quietly excused himself from the Gryffindor common room at eight o'clock, saying he wanted to look something up in the library for his potions essay. Hermione gave him a dubious look, having noted his late return to the common room the previous night, but didn't object to his leaving.

The Gryffindor waited silently outside the Slytherin common room under his invisibility cloak until Draco appeared. Harry reached out and brushed his hand over the other boys' arm to let him know he was there and followed behind the blond as he lead the way to their meeting place.

Once safely inside the room, Dracos' masks went down and he gave Harry a sorrowful look, silently apologizing for his behavior during the day. The Slytherin had been growing increasingly nervous and fearful that the bespectacled teen would take his words and actions to heart and be angry when they met that evening. But The Gryffindor boy had merely shaken his head, called the blond a silly git, and given him a friendly hug to soothe his anxiety.

The hours that followed were spent cementing their new friendship in the planning of pranks to be pulled by the Slytherin, all of which could be countered by Harry. Draco helped the raven-haired boy to finish and polish up his potions essay for the next days' class, guaranteeing his friend a good grade to balance out the zero for the practical lesson he'd sabotaged.

The next day passed with the same routine of nasty comments, harmless but embarrassing hexes, and shows of temper. Their potions lesson for the day started on a surprising note as Snape paired his students off the same way they were in DADA, putting Harry and Draco together towards the back of the class. It made the class easier for both of the boys as the Slytherins would not expect their leader to botch his own potion just to get Harry Potter into trouble, and the potions professor would not fail his favorite Slytherin.

Harry and Draco did not meet in their secret room that evening, though they wanted to and each debating signaling the desire to their counterpart. The main reason they chose not to meet was Hermione. The bushy-haired girl was quick to become suspicious over her raven-haired friends' disappearance on two consecutive nights, coming back long after curfew had passed and the second time with a completed potions essay and the counter charm to Rons' green and silver hair.

Luckily, Hermione had questioned her friend about his nighttime wanderings in the corridor between classes, unaware that the person Harry was meeting was walking just a few steps behind them. Draco made sure to address his next tirade at the muggleborn girl, though he caught Harrys' eye to let the other boy know he was aware of why they couldn't meet that night.

Fridays' first lesson for the fifth year Gryffindors and Slytherins was DADA and for once the two groups were in accord, sharing the excitement of their next lesson with the two professors. Even the teens who normally turned in dodgy homework assignments had labored over the two-foot essay they had due. The group refrained from sniping at each other as they waited for their professors to arrive, remembering that at least one of the adults was likely to take copious points if they found their students arguing.

Drakkara and Remus were in good moods that day, having completed the hardest stage of the potion brewing the previous evening without any problems. The theory part of the lesson they had planned for the fifth years focused on questioning what common dueling spells the teens knew. "Revision is important during this year, as the OWLs test not only what you've learned this year, but how well you've retained the knowledge of your previous years." Professor Lupin had explained at the beginning of class, a speech the teens had heard from all of their teachers.

The second half of the class was devoted to practicing the spells they'd spoken about earlier. While Remus had been teaching the theory, Drakkara had been placing cushioning charms around the room to prepare for her part of the lesson. "Alright class, time to put words to action. You all seem fairly well versed in the theory and use of several common dueling spells, now I want to see how well you can cast them. You will each come to the front of the class with your partners and duel using the spells we discussed today. As you no doubt noticed I've placed charms around the room to prevent injury from your use of the disarming charm." Drakkara explained.

The raven-haired professor called up one pair at a time and had them demonstrate their proficiency with the disarming, stunning, and petrifying charms. While all the students were able to cast the spells correctly, several had problems putting any true power behind their casting or showed poor aim. When they finished off with Harry and Draco giving a perfect demonstration, she addressed her students.

"Who can tell me what the common problems I've seen in these duels are?" She asked the class.

Everyone looked confused, as if they didn't know what she was talking about. Blaise Zabini raised his hand after a few moments, when it seemed no one else was going to answer. The professor pointed him out and he said, "Well, a lot of spells went wild. Some people didn't aim correctly and their spells missed the target."

Drakkara nodded her agreement and awarded five points to Slytherin for the answer. She then asked for any other problems and was a bit displeased when no one raised a hand. Finally she turned to her colleague. "Remus, can you answer the question for me? It seems our students aren't as experienced as they should be in this matter."

"Of course Drakkara." The tawny-haired man turned and spoke the answer to the class, along with an explanation. "It's okay that none of you were able to give the answer Professor Vanimaer is looking for, considering your string of DADA professors, excluding myself. I would've been surprised if someone did answer. The three spells you practiced today are among the most common and useful of combat spells, but they are only useful if cast with enough power to thoroughly accomplish their tasks."

He paused for a moment to gather his thoughts and continued. "Most of you are not casting with any power. If you will recall, in at least two duels, the disarming charm was cast and though it struck the intended target, they remained in possession of their wand. That is due to lack of power behind the spell. A weakly cast spell is easily thrown off. Watch as Professor Vanimaer and I demonstrate."

Remus faced off with Drakkara across the room and cast a seemingly careless disarming charm. The violet-eyed woman allowed the spell to hit her, holding her wand hand out as it did so that the students could see her wand shudder for a moment but remain firmly in her hand. "Professor Lupin could have easily disarmed me, had he put any power into the spell, like so." She said before casting the same charm at the man, sending him flying into a cushioned wall while his wand arched through the air to land in her free hand.

The werewolf gracefully leapt to his feet again and shook his head to clear it after the impact with the cushioned wall. "Right, next class you get to be the one thrown into the wall Drakkara." He complained teasingly and caught the wand his mate tossed to him before addressing the students. "I'm sure you all noticed the vast difference in our castings of the disarming charm. The same is true of both the petrifying and stunning hexes. If either is cast without sufficient power, the object of the hex will be able to throw it off after a few moments."

Drakkara came to stand near her tawny-haired friend and took up where he left off. "Even casting those spells at full power is no guarantee of a capture. If the will of the hexes victim is stronger than the power behind the casting, the victim can still fight it off. I believe that your professor of last term, the man impersonating Alastor Moody, subjected you all to a practical demonstration of the Imperius curse and asked that you attempt to fight it off. Was anyone in this class successful?"

Several pairs of eyes turned to the back of the classroom, focusing on the single hand raised, belonging to Harry Potter. "Well done Mr. Potter. Can you explain for your classmates how you felt under the curse and how you were able to fight it off?"

Harry looked annoyed, but stood up anyway. Before he spoke the bespectacled teen sent a surge of annoyance at his godmother to let her know she was the object of his pique. "Um, well. Hey, you guys all got put under the Imperius, the same as me so you know what it feels like. Sorta like you're floating and don't have a care in the world. All I did to fight it off was say no to the voice trying to give me orders. I just kept saying no and eventually it went away." The boy retook his seat, face reddening in embarrassment.

"Very well explained Mr. Potter. Probably far easier to understand than the explanation Professor Vanimaer or I would give. As she said earlier, despite a spell of that nature being cast at full power, as in Mr. Potters' case, it can be fought off if you can train your mind to do it, order yourself not to give in to the magic. We have a few minutes left here, so we'll give another demonstration." Professor Lupin said before turning and casting a strong stunning hex at his colleague.

The students watched as their raven-haired professor fell to the floor in a heap, unconscious under the effects of the stunner. "Professor Vanimaer has the most thorough training in DADA that a person can receive. Watch closely and you'll see her come out from under the effects in just a moment, though the power I cast it with would keep an average wizard unconscious for about two hours."

As the amber-eyed professor had said, within moments Professor Vanimaer was awake, though she didn't move. Catching the eye of her students, she gave a sly wink before casting the petrifying hex at her mate, who had his back to her. The werewolf stiffened and fell straight back in the same position he'd been standing in, and the dark haired woman lifted herself off the floor gracefully. "Turn about is fair play Remus. You fight that off while I tell the class what their homework is." She said teasingly to the petrified man.

The students giggled. Well, at least the Gryffindor students giggled, the Slytherins managed to suppress their humor down to superior smirks. Every one of the fifth years enjoyed having Professors Vanimaer and Lupin teaching them. The pair were extremely informative, but they also had a knack for making their classes fun. It amused the teens to no end seeing the adults playfully dueling each other, demonstrating the point they were trying to make.

While the amber-eyed professor fought against his petrified state, Drakkara addressed the students. "Alright then, we'll leave Professor Lupin to free himself and continue shall we? As to homework, and don't groan at me I do realize the weekend is coming up. For next class I'd like two feet on how the power used in casting spells affects the results of the spells. I'd like to see three examples of spells that are more effective when more power is put behind them besides the ones we discussed today."

When the older woman had finished, and was about to dismiss the class, several hands raised around the room. Raising an eyebrow in curiosity Drakkara pointed to Hermione. "Professor, I was just wondering, and I think the others are too. Will you and Professor Lupin be teaching us how to fight off curses at some point this year?"

Remus managed to release himself from the full body bind just in time to provide the answer. "Good question Miss Granger. Yes, we'll be teaching you all how to fight off the effects of minor curses during the practical part of your next lesson. Until then, have a good weekend and don't forget your homework. Class dismissed."

The group of teenagers filed towards the door, shoving things in their satchels as they conversed with their friends. Remus and Drakkara had disappeared into their office for the few minutes they had before the next class and so didn't notice that one boy stayed behind to talk to them, and another boy waited outside the class to catch the other. Harry waited until everyone was out of the room before he went into the professors' office to talk to his godmother and her mate for a moment.

"Knock, knock. Mind if I come in for a sec?" He asked, poking his head through the open door.

A smile lit the adults faces and they beckoned the raven-haired boy in. "Hey Ama, Remy, Snuffles. I just wanted to make sure we're still on for a visit tomorrow evening. I've missed you guys over the week, even though I'm really enjoying your classes."

Remus ruffled the boys' already messy hair. "You bet Harry. Come on up here after dinner. The password to get by your mum is Forever. Are Ron, Hermione and the others coming with?" He asked, anticipating the visit.

Harry ran his fingers through his hair, trying to restore some sort of order to the chaos that was his hair. "Nah, I don't think so. The twins are up to something with Lee Jordan, Ron wants to spend the day with his new Cleansweep, and 'Mione is planning to spend the day researching her extra credit project. I guess it'll just be us this time." He replied, smiling at the thought of having some time with his family.

"You can bring anyone you like Harry-love, remember that. I'm looking forward to spending some time being Ama; Professor Vanimaer is getting old really quick, makes me feel like I have to act like Minerva. Let's have a hug, then you need to scoot along to your next class, I don't want you to be late. Professor Flitwick chewed us out the other day for you and Draco being so late to his class." Drakkara said with a smile, hoping her godson would choose to reveal his new friend to them the next night.

The bespectacled boy nodded his agreement and stepped forward to embrace his godmother tightly for a moment before saying goodbye and heading off to Charms. "Do you really think he'll bring Draco up to see us Kara?" Remus asked after the teen was out of sight.

Drakkara gave a lazy shrug, "No idea Remy-love, but I hope he does. We can't help them much unobtrusively, but once we 'learn' about their new friendship, we can give them some time together to develop it. I haven't worked out exactly how or where yet, but give me some time."

The halls emptied out fairly fast as Draco hung back waiting for Harry. The DADA classroom was the only one in this particular corridor so there was no mad rush of other classes. The fifth year Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws would be coming from their classes on the other side of the castle and wouldn't be anywhere near yet. The raven-haired boy wasn't long in coming out of the classroom and walking off toward Charms.

Draco looked around once more to make sure they were along before he fell in beside the other boy. "Hey Harry, I'm glad you stayed back after class. Now I won't have to think of something really horrible to say to you after Charms so that you'll know I want to meet again tonight. That okay with you?" The blond asked.

"Sure Draco, I was gonna signal you myself on the way to lunch. Anything in particular you want to talk about or just hang out for a while?" Harry replied, switching from public persona to private as easily as the Slytherin had.

The blond teen smiled at his friend, "Just hang out, be myself for a while. I'll bring my potions book down and we can work on our essays, get them out of the way since we both have quidditch tryouts and practices after the weekend. If we have time maybe we can work on the transfiguration and whatever we get for charms too."

Harry shook his head sadly as he responded. "Draco, you're as big a nerd as Hermione. Alright, I'll bring the transfiguration and DADA books, you bring potions and charms. For once, I really would like to get my homework done before the weekend starts. Well, one of us had better run ahead so we don't get caught talking. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs will be coming down the hall soon. See you tonight at eight-thirty Dray."

The green-eyed boy ran off before Draco could do more than sputter and look indignant over the nickname. 'Yea gads I've been given a nickname! My name is all of five letters! Two little tiny syllables and he has to go and shorten it? I can't even do the same to him! Grr!' The blond stalked off towards his class, wondering how he could get his friend back for the nickname.

The rest of the day passed without much in the way of excitement. Draco continued to harass the Gryffindor trio, sending Hermione into an unusually vehement show of anger when he hexed her hair into a style that resembled the bride of Frankenstein. That stunt got his own hair cursed to Gryffindor red and nearly had his nose introduced to Rons' fist. Luckily, Harry had been able to hold his best friend back until the emerald-eyed boy could retaliate with the dye job.

When Harry and Draco met in their room later in the evening, the former blond demanded that his lovely locks be restored to normal as soon as the Gryffindor closed the door behind him. "Whoa Dray, hold your horses. You hair will be back to normal in an hour or so. And don't give me that look, even if we hadn't planned that part of the prank I would've done it. If I hadn't cursed you, Ron would've splattered your nose all over your face and 'Mione would've cursed you into next week."

"But Harry, you made me a redhead! Look at me, I'm not meant to have bright hair, I'm too pale! Couldn't you have done Gryffindor gold instead?" The Slytherin whined petulantly.

The raven-haired teen laughed and attempted to ruffle Dracos' brilliantly colored hair, drawing his hand back in disgust when he encountered the boys' hair gel. "It wouldn't have made much of a prank, turning you from a silver-blond to a golden-blond. Nope, had to be red. Eww Dray, is there an actual _good_ reason you coat your hair in this crap? It feels gross."

Draco chuckled as he replied, "Well, it doesn't look like yours without the gel or anything, but it gets in my way and makes me look girly. Pansy actually called me pretty the last time she saw me without my hair slicked back."

Harry cocked his head to the side, thinking about that. Like him, Draco was short and slightly built. The blond had the same lean, wiry muscles gained from quidditch too. He didn't think the other boy could be considered pretty though. Girls were pretty, and his new friend was far from being a girl. That wasn't to say the Slytherin wasn't good-looking though, in fact he was almost too handsome. If it weren't for the nasty attitude he exuded girls would flock to him. "Nah, not pretty Dray, just way too handsome for your own good." The bespectacled teen commented.

Draco was mortified to feel his face heating over his friends' remark, not to mention the butterflies that had just some to life in his stomach. To distract them both before Harry noticed his sudden blush, the Slytherin turned his head away and picked up the transfiguration book his friend had dropped onto the couch beside him. "Let's get started on our homework. If you want to get most of it done tonight we should get to it."

"I'd like to get most of it done tonight, at least potions and transfiguration. That's something I wanted to ask you about before I forget. The reason I want to get my homework done is cause I'm gonna go up and spend tomorrow night with Kara, Remy, and Snuffles; I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?" Harry posed the question tentatively, not sure if his friend was ready to talk with the adults about his problem.

The other boy looked up, silvery-gray eyes showing a tinge of fear. "I…n…y…I don't know Harry, would it be safe?" He asked, torn between wanting to get the DADA professors' help and the need to keep his secrets only between himself and Harry.

The raven-haired teen was quick to notice the fear in his friends' eyes and sought to soothe him. Harry scooted close to the other boy and laid a hand on his back. "Shh Dray. It's okay if you don't want to see them outside of class yet. I just thought you might like to meet the real people, not the teachers. They're different when they're not being professors, I think you'd like them."

Draco leaned into the one armed hug, resting his face against the Gryffindors' shoulder and forcing the nervousness down. "It's not that I don't want to Harry. Part of me really wants to talk to Professor Vanimaer and see if she can help me get out of this mess. But I have a hard time trusting people, especially adults. Not to mention Professor Lupin is a werewolf and that just plain scares the crap out of me. So does Snuffles to a lesser extent; I just have a problem with dogs of any sort."

Harry squeezed the silver-eyed boy gently and replied, "Would it help any if I said I spent the last full moon watching movies with both of them? Moony, that's what we call Remus in wolf form, is harmless with the potion he's taking. And Snuffles really is just a great big baby. If you're not ready to talk to them about everything that's okay too, I can tell them not to push the subject."

"I guess, as long as I'm back in the dorms by curfew I could come up for a while. How else can I learn to trust them if I don't get to know them. What time are you going up there?" Draco asked, reluctantly raising his head from Harrys' shoulder, though he didn't pull out of the hug.

He was rewarded for his courage with another squeeze from his friend as the green-eyed boy responded, "I'll probably go up after lunch, we're gonna have dinner in the suite. Can you get away from your housemates and meet me in the DADA corridor?"

Draco nodded, "Yeah, they're buying the act so they won't be suspicious if I take off on my own for a few hours. I'll just say I'm going outside, none of them like wandering around when they can sit on their arses in the common room."

That settled, the boys got down to work. They managed to finish the essay for Professor McGonagall easily and switched to the assignment from Snape. Draco ended up having to explain the entire potion from their last class to Harry, muttering under his breath about the raven-haired boys' Longbottom-like ineptitude. Just before eleven o'clock they managed to finish the monster essay, cursing the potions master for assigning such complicated piece of homework for the weekend. They said their good-byes and left the room, both wondering what the next day would bring.

****

A/N Again: If you read the beginning AN just consider this an authors final plea and if you skipped it, please read this. I am desperate to see what people think of this fic. Love it? Like it? Absolutely can't stand it? I want to know, so please review. Thanks!


	16. Chapter 15

Author: Sinayah ****

Email: Just Ask

Rating: PG and R in most cases, any higher and I'll let you know ahead of time.

Authors Note: As always, many thanks to my readers, and especially my reviewers. Much to my dismay I've been unable to work on this fic as much as I would like, this goes for my other story Sirens Song as well. Unfortunately my boss at work won't accept "Need to write or the lynch mob will come after me" as an excuse for missing work. The same goes for those 'lovely' companies who provide me with utilities. Also I've been caring for my elderly mother a lot over the last few months. I hope my humble apologies and this new chapter, which I admit isn't much more than a filler, will brighten all your hopes and keep you watching for the next update. As I post this, chapter 16 is about a third of the way complete and I promise I will work on it when I can.

Chapter 15

Late that night, Harry dreamed. The dreams started out ordinary enough, a backyard game of quidditch with the Weasley boys and his other friends at the Burrow. It didn't seem odd to the raven-haired teens sleeping mind that Draco was also playing, along with Hermione and Neville; after all it was just a friendly game of quidditch. But just as he and Draco went into a dive for the snitch, the dream changed.

__

The sunny sky darkened and clouded over as he dove, Draco by his side. It was a game of chicken between them now, which of them could face the danger of crashing the longest, who would run the snitch down at all costs? The ground was coming closer, just ten feet, now five. Draco fell back; pulling himself out of the dive as Harry put on an extra burst of speed, reaching out to grab the elusive golden ball before he crashed.

With his emerald eyes firmly fixed on the snitch, Harry didn't see the green grass of the playing field swirl and darken to black, didn't see that blackness reach up for him, didn't hear the cries of his friends for him to return to them. And then the snitch was gone, disappearing into the tarry black substance. Harry tried to pull up, jerking his broom to come out of the dive, but it was too late. The darkness reached up further and enveloped him.

Swirling through the dark. Blind, deaf, and numb. His broom evaporated beneath him and the oppressive blackness absorbed all his attempts to fight. It pulled at him, tugging him toward an unknown destination and despite his attempts, Harry knew he was going with it.

He landed with a thud on a marble floor. A long hallway lay ahead of him, a plain wooden door at its end. Harry was drawn toward that door, he wanted the thing that lay behind it, desired it beyond anything. He lifted his foot and took a step towards it, then another. He ran for that door, feeling the object behind it coming closer to him with each step.

One foot, then the other, but no, something was impeding his progress. He looked down; the floor was sucking at his feet, the white marble clinging to his shoes. And there was a shield in front of him now, keeping him from what he wanted. He whirled around, searching for a way around the obstacle.

And found himself in a dingy looking room. Anger surged through him and he yelled, "You told me that stupid fool could get it Avery! A simple matter of putting him under Imperius you said! Why then don't I have what I want you useless scum! Why is it still safely within the Ministry building in the hands of the Unspeakables? You are treading on thin ice with me, both yourself and Macnair. I think you need a reminder of what happens when you disappoint your Lord. CRUCIO!"

The Death Eater writhed on the ground under the malevolence of the curse, but it was not enough to calm the fury raging through the serpentine Dark Lord. Curses spat from his thin lips, accompanied by bursts of light from his wand and all followed by the screams of the curses victims; and inside the mind of Lord Voldemort Harry Potter became aware of himself and screamed with them.

Pain. Unspeakable pain ripped through his body. Tortures beyond tortures were these curses. Fuelled by hate and malice, they were fire and ice, sharp stabbing and blunt blows. Searing agony radiating from the lightning bolt scar on his forehead. Lightning bolt scar…

Harry screamed as the pain of the curses and the burning of his scar pulled him out of the dark world of his dream visions. Four male voices sounded in the dark, startled into wakefulness by the cry of unbearable pain. "Harry!"

The deep crimson bed curtains were ripped open and Ron, Neville and Seamus appeared, the latter two with wands at the ready while Dean loudly called, "_Lumos!_" to light the room. All five teens covered their eyes for a moment as the sudden light momentarily blinded them. When they recovered their sight and looked toward the only boy still abed, the picture he made was heart wrenching.

The slightly built young man was sitting up with his legs curled up as close to his body as they could get. His head was bowed into his hands, clutching at the scar on his forehead. Ron came and sat down beside his friend, having become quick to respond to the smaller boy's distress over the summer. "Harry, mate what happened? Was it a vision or a nightmare? Do you need Kara?" He said in a soft, soothing tone that was laced with worry for the other teen.

At the sound of his godmother's name, the raven-haired teen nodded emphatically. "Yeah, get Kara. Tell her to bring the potions." The effort of those few words cost Harry and his energy was spent. The after effects of the curses became more apparent in the uncontrollable trembling of his body.

"Shit, Bugger, and Blast! Okay Harry, I'll get Kara for you. But listen mate; I need to know how to get to her rooms. Can you tell me where her room is?" Ron replied, standing up and running a hand through his hair.

Harry lifted his head again with great effort. "Behind…classroom…office. Up stairs…Tell mum…forever."

Ron nodded, getting the gist of the instructions. "Right then. Guys, stay with him. Don't let him pass out, keep him sitting up and awake. I'll be back soon." The other three teens nodded and Neville and Dean climbed onto the bed with their friend while Seamus set about lighting the wall sconces that lit the room until bedtime.

The gangly redhead left the room at a run, taking the stairs to the common room two at a time. The portrait of the fat lady started yelling as he burst out of the portrait hole, but he ignored her, knowing that the sooner Harry got the anti cruciatus potion the better he would be. Though the DADA classroom was on the same floor as Gryffindor tower, it still took five minutes to get to the right corridor. Luckily, the only obstacle he met on the way was Mrs. Norris, and the cat hurried off in the other direction the moment she saw him. 'Probably to get Filch.' He thought in a disgusted manner.

He reached the DADA classroom door and skidded to a halt against it. He pulled on the door, but it wouldn't budge. "Come on you stupid door, open up already! Kara, Remus, Snuffles, anyone! Let me in, Harry needs you!" He exclaimed breathlessly and felt the wards keeping the door locked fall. Opening the door he ran through the classroom and adjoining office. He saw the door leading to the Professors quarters after a quick glance and went through it.

'Bloody stairs, always bloody stairs! At least they're not moving.' He thought, huffing and puffing his way up the two flights to the portrait. Without really looking at the occupants of the picture he said the password and pulled the door open, making the person behind the door stumble into him.

"Whoa there. Ron, is that you?" A male voice came out of the darkness as the two people regained their balance. Ron recognized the voice as belonging to Professor Lupin and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, it's me Professor. Harry's had one of his visions. He needs Kara to bring him some anti cruciatus potion." A light came on inside the suite and Remus guided the teenager inside. The redhead caught a glimpse of Drakkara as she opened the lid of her trunk and disappeared inside. He stumbled over and leaned in, "Eh, you might want to grab a few doses of calming potion for the guys if you have any. We forgot to warn 'em about the visions and I think Harry scared the crud out of them." He called down.

A minute or so later, the ebony-haired woman emerged from the trunk. She carried a potions case and pair of slippers in one hand and had a dressing gown thrown over her arm. After she stepped out of the trunk, she slipped the ankle length robe on and slid her feet into the high-heeled slippers. "Right then. We'll take the floo back, follow after me Ron." She said in a no nonsense voice that reminded the boy of his mother.

She took a pinch of floo powder and threw it into the fire Sirius had lit. "Take care of him Kara, I'll wait up until you get back." The Remus said as his mate entered the green flames with Snuffles beside her. Drakkara nodded and offered him a strained smile before she clearly stated, "Gryffindor Common Room!" and disappeared.

Drakkara and the dog were already jogging up the stairs when Ron tumbled out of the fireplace in his common room and he ran to catch up with them. As they neared the open door of the fifth year boys dorm they could hear Neville's soft words of encouragement. "Come on Harry, just another minute or so and Ron will be back with…er…Kara. Just keep your eyes open a little bit longer.

They entered the room swiftly and the boy motioned Dean and Seamus away from the bed as the tall woman approached with her canine companion. The trio of boys had obviously had problems keeping Harry awake as he was at the moment being held up by Neville, who was sitting behind him rubbing circles on his trembling back. The shy teen made to get off the bed as the professor climbed on but a soft voice stopped him. "No Neville, stay where you are. You can help me get this potion into him."

"Harry, listen to me Sweetling. It's Ama, I'm here and I've brought your potions." The violet-eyed woman said, keeping her voice soft to aid in calming not only her godson but the other boys as well. "I need you to lean back against Neville now Love." She leaned in and took hold of the teens arms, helping him to uncurl from his fetal position. "That's right Harry, lean against your friend. Now tilt your head back against his shoulder so you can take your potion."

Quickly, she flipped the locks on her potions case open and reached for a large bottle. This was the longest she'd ever taken to reach her heart-son after one of his visions and she hadn't known how much she'd need. "Mister Finnegan, get me an empty glass please, quickly. Ron, find Harry some more pyjamas, he's sweated through these. And Mister Thomas, if you could, run to the bathroom and bring me back a damp washrag." She gave out orders in a calm tone, hoping to make the teens feel as if they were helping their friend.

Seamus got the glass quickly, having simply emptied the glass of water on his nightstand out the window. Drakkara had the sandy-haired boy hold it for her while she poured the correct dose, then exchanged the glass for the bottle. She turned back to Harry, still being held loosely and kept awake by Neville. "Alright Precious, I've got your potion here. Open your eyes for me now."

Harry opened his eyes reluctantly, showing uneven pupil dilation that was another symptom of the Cruciatus curse. Drakkara leaned in and carded her fingers through his sweaty raven locks, placing her hand behind his head and lifting it carefully. She placed the glass against his parched lips and watched him drink the potion slowly, as if it pained him to swallow. "There's a love. You know the drill now, keep your eyes open for me and let me know when you start to feel better." She said, smiling down at the teen.

Ron had found an extra set of pyjamas in his friends' trunk and placed them on the edge of the bed before he sat down on his own bed and beckoned Seamus to join him. Dean rushed back in with the washrag a moment later and joined the others once he'd delivered it. They watched Drakkara dig through her potions case again until she came up with a vial of brownish colored paste. She dipped her finger in the mixture and spread a bit of the stuff on the rag before placing it over Harry's scar.

The raven-haired professor gave her godson a quick checkup, testing his pulse and looking into his eyes to check his pupils. The trembling in the boys body was beginning to ease now and he allowed her to straighten his legs out. When asked a question in a soft voice Harry answered, "It's better now Ama. Can I go to sleep again?"

This brought a smile to the lovely womans face and she nodded. "Yes Harry-love, you can go to sleep now. But first we need to get Neville out from under you alright?"

"Umm, oops. Sorry Nev, forgot you were back there." With a wan smile, the emerald-eyed boy allowed his godmother to lift him up and rest him against her body while his roommate got out of the bed.

Drakkara laid him down against his pillows and took her wand from the ever-present wrist sheath. She muttered a spell that switched the boys sweat soaked sleepwear for the clean items Ron had found. She tucked him into the bed and brushed his hair off his forehead, "Sweetling, I need to know if what you saw is something I need to alert the headmaster about right away or if it can wait until morning."

Harry nodded, knowing she wouldn't ask unless she had to. "It can wait, it wasn't an attack or anything. Just old Moldywarts being pissed off at his servants and some weird stuff that has no meaning to me."

The older woman nodded, "Alright then, go back to sleep. Snuffles came up with me, do you want him to stay for the rest of the night?" Drakkara asked and when the teen nodded she gestured the huge black dog up onto the bed where he promptly cuddled up beside the boy and licked his cheek.

She watched the pair for a minute, smiling as Harry curled his arm around his godfather's furry body and closed his bright eyes. Turning around, she faced the four boys crowded onto Ron's bed. She reached into her potions case once more and brought out small vial of sky blue potion. "Here you go Ron, take this and get back to sleep. I'll explain to the others what happened. Thanks for coming to get me."

Ron took the vial from her hand and drained it before handing it back. "No problem Kara, you know I'd do anything for Harry. Goodnight." He said softly as the other three boys got up so that he could lie down. They watched as their professor smiled and ruffled the boy's red hair before turning her attention to them and beckoning them to follow her out of the room.

Drakkara grabbed her potions case once again and led her three students out of their dorm room and down to the common room where their conversation wouldn't disturb the sleepers upstairs. She watched as they sat down stiffly on the couch and turned confused and slightly fearful eyes on her. The ebony-haired woman gave the trio a reassuring smile and extracted three vials of the same sky blue potion from her case and handed them around.

"That is a mild calming draught, Ron felt you might need it. I have no doubt that Harry gave you a scare tonight." She explained in a soothing tone. When the boys looked at the liquid warily she rolled her eyes at them. "Go ahead, I promise I'm not trying to poison you."

The boys seemed to shrug and downed their potions; feeling the effects as their tense muscles eased and they relaxed back into the couch cushions. "Professor, what happened to Harry? Is he going to be okay?" Came Seamus' Irish brogue after a moment.

The violet-eyed professor sighed and leaned back in her recliner before answering. "Harry will be fine. But before I can tell you what happened to him I need your word, as Gryffindors and as Harry's friends that the information I give you goes no further than the three of you, the Weasley's and Hermione. Will you give me that promise?"

The teens voiced their agreement without hesitation and were rewarded with a smile from the woman before she began her explanation. "Thank you for that. Now, you all know what happened to Harry at the end of last term. Harry saw the Dark Lord reborn and the Death Eaters recalled. Since Voldemort's return, the curse scar he left on Harry has begun to show its full effect."

She paused, taking a deep breath and leaning forward before continuing. " The scar on Harry's forehead acts as a link between he and the Dark Lord. Now, this does _not_ mean that Harry is turning Dark or going mad or anything of the sort. To put it simply, when Voldemort is feeling strong emotions, especially hate and anger, Harry is drawn through the link and sees whatever is happening that is causing those emotions."

"So far, this has only happened when Harry is asleep. Another effect of this link is that during these episodes, or visions as we've taken to calling them; Harry feels the pain of any strong curses the Dark Lord performs, most especially the cruciatus curse. When the pain becomes too great, it forces him to wake up feeling the after effects of the curse or curses, as well as a searing pain in his scar. What you witnessed tonight was one of those visions." She finished her explanation and a tear fell unbidden down her cheek as she thought of the pain her beloved godson went through.

Needless to say, the three teens were appalled. Not at the thought of their roommate being linked through his scar to the man who murdered his parents, but that the link made Harry both a witness and a victim of the dark wizard's cruelty yet again. The boy's exchanged glances with each other before Neville spoke up in a soft, shy voice. "Is there anything we can do to help him Professor? What do we do if he has another umm, vision?"

Drakkara sighed in relief and gave the trio a tired smile. "I'm afraid there isn't much anyone can do about the visions, though myself and others are researching a way to block the link. Until we can find a way to block it, I'm afraid all we can do is help him when he wakes up from them. You three did very well tonight. You didn't panic and stayed with him until I arrived."

Despite their eagerness to help, the raven-haired woman could see the boys were practically asleep by the time she finished speaking. She thought for a moment and then continued, "I think we should let this be for now. I'll see about setting up a meeting later this week for the five of you with the Headmaster, Professor McGonagall and myself to talk some more about it. Right now though, you boys need to get back to bed."

The trio nodded their heads in agreement and got up, stumbling back up the stairs with the older woman following behind. When they entered the dorm room, the boys immediately fell back into their beds, the calming potion they'd taken easing their way into sleep. Unlike his friends though, Harry was not still and silent. The dark-haired young man was restless, twisting and turning in his sleep. Sirius, still in canine form, was doing his best to soothe the teen, but looked up at Drakkara with pleading eyes.

The violet-eyed woman walked over to her godchild's bed silently and sat down, reaching her pale, slender hand out to brush the boy's cheek. Mewling softly, Harry leaned into the touch and then turned completely toward the new source of comfort, his arm reaching for his heart mother. Knowing instinctively what he wanted, Drakkara swung her legs up and settled against the headboard of the bed before reaching over and pulling the slight boy into her embrace.

Harry snuggled into the warmth of his godmother's arms and sighed contentedly. His slender arm snaked across her waist and his fingers found and twined in her loose raven locks. Drakkara tightened her arm around his shoulders slightly and brought her free hand up to card through his hair. Not even thinking about the sleepy audience in their beds she began to hum and then sing softly to help soothe Harry into a deep sleep.

__

Why are there so many  
Songs about rainbows  
And what's on the other side?  
Rainbow's are visions  
They're only illusions  
And rainbows have nothing to hide.  
So we've been told and some chose to  
Believe it,  
But I know they're wrong wait and see.

Someday we'll find it  
The rainbow connection  
The lovers, the dreamers and me.

Five boys, mostly asleep smiled at the images provoked by their professor's song. Her voice was soft and sweet toned and when combined with the lyrics to the childrens song brought up happy memories for her audience. Curled protectively against Harry's back, Snuffles nudged and licked his friend's hand in affection as he felt the tension drain from his godson.__

Who said that every wish  
Would be heard and answered  
When wished on the morning star?  
Somebody thought of that  
And someone believed it  
And look what it's done so far.

What's so amazing  
That keeps us star gazing  
What do we think we might see?

Someday we'll find it  
That rainbow connection  
The lovers the dreamers and me.

All of us under its spell  
We know that it's probably magic.

Drakkara's lilting voice had managed to soothe all the teens into dreamland and she looked down at her godson to find him smiling softly at hearing the word magic. This particular song had become one of Harry's favorite lullabies over the summer when he awoke from a nightmare or vision and needed to be coaxed back to sleep.

__

Have you been half-asleep  
And have you heard voices?  
I've heard them calling my name.  
Are these the sweet sounds that called  
The young sailors?  
I think they're one and the same.  
I've heard it too many times to ignore it  
There's something that I'm supposed to be.

Someday we'll find it  
The rainbow connection  
The lovers, the dreamers and me

The violet-eyed woman finished her song and listened for a few moments, hearing the deep, even breathing and soft snores of five sleeping boys. Curled in her arms, Harry was now resting as peacefully as his friends she was happy to note. Slowly she extricated herself from the teen's grasp and stood up. She tucked the warm quilt around his shoulders and murmured, "Keep watch over him Siri, and sleep well. I'll leave his morning potions on the night table, make sure he takes them when he wakes up."

Glowing sapphire eyes looked up at her and the animagus woofed softly in agreement before laying his head down beside the sleeping teen. Drakkara watched her heart-son's peaceful face for a moment and stroked the Great Dane's head before opening her case and extracting two potion vials containing Harry's standard 'morning after' medicine. She sat them on the bedside table next to his wand and glasses and left the room with a soft swish of her silken robe.

Drakkara flooed back to the suite she shared with Remus and Sirius and found her mate awake and worried for Harry. She calmed him with reassurances that the teen would be fine as she dropped onto the couch and rolled her head and shoulders to work out the kinks. "We really need to set up a better way to get help for Harry when he has one of these visions, at least until we can find a way to block the link. How are you and Albus coming along with that?" The tawny-haired werewolf asked after hearing her summary of the event.

Drakkara shook her head sadly as she replied, "The only thing either of us can come up with is to teach him occlumency, but it's too hard a discipline for a fifteen year old boy to learn. Albus and Severus are skilled at it but neither of them even attempted to learn it until they were fully matured wizards, so how can we expect Harry to master it?"

The couple discussed that option for a while, coming up with nothing new but feeling better for the effort. After about fifteen minutes Drakkara could tell that weariness was catching up to her lover and sent him back to bed. He gave her a curious look when instead of following him into the bedroom she went towards her trunk. "I'm going for a walk, I feel like I've been inside too long, you know how I get." She said, answering the question in Remus' amber eyes.

The tawny-haired man nodded in response and asked if she wanted company, which she declined, knowing that her mate was tired and needed his rest after the long week of classes. She wished him a good sleep and after changing into a pair of sturdy jeans and a baggy jumper the violet-eyed woman left the suite.

She walked through the castle slowly, not really in a hurry; just knowing she wanted to be outside. The dark forest, the lake, the grounds and the cliffs that encompassed the school were as much 'home' to her as the castle itself. In her time as a student, she'd often roamed the grounds after curfew and given her head of house fits when he'd eventually found her at the lakeshore or up a tree at the edge of the forest.

As the violet-eyed woman exited the massive castle doors and breathed in the crisply cool autumn air she felt her tense muscles start to relax. She strolled across the lawn with no destination in mind, just letting herself wander wherever her feet decided to take her. Lost in the refreshing feeling of being outdoors after too much time spent cooped up, Drakkara didn't notice she was nearing Hagrid's cottage until she was startled back to her senses by the loud barking of a dog.

"A'right dog, I've had just about enough of this for tonight! Out ye get!" Came the grumpy voice of a recently woken Professor Grubbly-Plank. Drakkara saw a lantern come on inside the cozy house and a moment later the substitute professor opened the door and shoved an eager boarhound out.

Figuring that she had caused the dog to bark she called out to apologize as she walked closer to the lighted house. "Wilhemina? It's Drakkara Vanimaer. I'm sorry, Fang must have scented me."

The older woman raised her lantern to spread the area of light and Drakkara stepped into its glow. "Eh? Drakkara? What are ye doing out here this time of night girlie?" She asked, beckoning her colleague closer.

Drakkara gave a friendly smile as she approached and barely managed to turn Fang aside as the dog tried to jump up on her. "Easy Fang old boy, stay down. Just taking a walk Wilhemina, I'm sorry I woke Fang and made him interrupt your sleep."

"Bah, not your fault. That mutt's been acting barmy all night. This be the second time he's woken me up tonight." The gray-haired woman replied, taking her pipe and wand out of her night robe and lighting the foul smelling tobacco.

The younger professor cocked her head and looked down at the hound that was currently beating her thigh with his tail. "Really? I wonder what's gotten into him. Maybe he's having a night like mine, too much energy to sleep. If you like I'll take him with me, give him a good walk and leave him here under the steps when I go back inside."

Professor Grubbly-Plank gave her colleague a grateful look through the haze of smoke. "Aye, I'd appreciate it Drakkara. It's been a rough week it has, convincing the kids I'm not gonna hand 'em something that'd be better off taught about in your class to take care of."

The two shared a chuckle over Hagrid's taste in creatures and parted soon after, The elder woman to bed and the younger continuing her walk with Fang at her heels. Drakkara walked slowly, waiting for the light in the hut to go out. When it did, she knelt down beside the dog and patted him, scratching behind his ears as she spoke, "Alright Fang, what's got your fur in a tangle tonight?"

The graying old boarhound wagged his tail a bit more vigorously and turned his head toward the forest. "Something in there huh? Okay show me, but I warn you now if it's a girl you're after I'm going to be mad. I'm not out here to chaperone doggie dates." She shook her finger jokingly at the dog before gesturing him to lead her to whatever had caught his attention.

Drakkara followed Fang into the forest, keeping her senses alert. She wasn't afraid of the creatures that inhabited the wood, but neither did she want to run into a few species, namely the acromantulas. She kept track of the direction they were going; noting that the dog was thankfully heading away from the hollow the giant arachnids lived in. "Okay Fang, no nasty spiders thank Merlin, but the last time I was in here the centaurs lived in this direction and I don't much want to see them either. Keep that in mind will you?"

Of course, the boarhound didn't answer, but she felt that she'd gotten her point across. They kept walking for a while, traversing the rough ground in relative silence. Drakkara became increasingly curious the deeper they went into the forest. "Just where are you leading me Fang? We're getting close to the edge of the wards." She commented to her canine companion.

The raven-haired woman was very close to turning around when Fang went still and perked his ears up. The woman listened as hard as she could, trying to figure out what the dog was hearing. A soft croon, not something she would normally expect to hear in the forest, and with it came words. "Over here, in the birch Drakkara."

She looked around and spotted a birch tree a few feet ahead. Looking up into its branches she spotted something red. She walked over and stopped directly under the tree. "What in Merlin's name are you doing up there you dimwitted bird?" She asked in a whisper.

"I'm in a bit of a pickle Drakkara. Would you mind coming up here and bringing me down? I would dearly love to go home. And try to be quiet about it, I don't think either of us would like to meet the centaurs just now." Came the softly vocalized reply.

Shaking her head and wondering just how she managed to find herself in situations like these; Drakkara looked around for the lowest hanging branch and leaped up to grasp it. She pulled herself up onto the thick branch and proceeded upwards, muttering under her breath, "I hate climbing trees. You know I hate climbing trees damn it. If you had to get into a 'pickle' why couldn't you do it on the ground?"

Finally she reached the spot where her avian friend was waiting. "Will you hush Drakkara. Just get me down and out of this forest."

The woman glared at the swanlike bird and straddled the branch. "Damn you get cranky when you get old, but I see your problem. I'll need both hands to get us down so I hope you don't mind being strapped to my chest for a few minutes." Not waiting for the creature's consent, Drakkara drew her wand and conjured something not unlike a baby carrier with straps to go over her shoulders and another around her waist.

She lifted the large bird carefully and placed him gently inside the pouch part of the carrier. "You'd better not decide to kick the bucket while I'm climbing down, I don't fancy the spectacle we'd make." She whispered to her passenger as she started the descent to the ground.

The avian trilled a disgruntled note but refrained from commenting as his rescuer climbed back down to the ground. Drakkara landed softly on the damp earth a minute or so later and breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't afraid of heights, in fact she enjoyed being in the treetops, she just had a serious problem with the actual climbing bit. Without needing instruction on what to do now, the violet-eyed woman clicked her fingers to bring Fang to her side and set a good pace back towards the school.

When they were well out of the centaurs hearing range, Drakkara looked down into the makeshift carrier and spoke in her native language. "Okay Fawkes, why don't you tell me what possessed you to go for a flight over the forest this close to a burning day?"

"I'll have you know Drakkara, that my burning was not nearly so imminent when I decided to take a flight during the dinner hour this evening. I had a good day or two left at least." The phoenix replied in a cranky tone that one could attribute to the very old and weary.

Drakkara considered this, knowing that her friend wouldn't risk being caught out for a burning and asked, "Alright then, what happened to speed things up to this point? I'm rather close to putting a fire repellant charm on this carrier incase you go before we get back to the castle!" Her voice was only half joking as she examined the phoenix who did indeed look to be only moments away from a rebirth.

The scarlet plumed bird raised his head up out of the carrier and rested it against his friends chest before replying, "I've got just about enough time for you to get us back I think, but you'll want to pass this on to my chosen when we get home. There's been a change of leadership in the centaur herd. The new leader detests wizards and any magical creature that associates with them."

The woman turned worried violet eyes on her friend and lifted a hand to stroke his feathered head. "I was just gliding over the forest this evening and happened to pass over their clearing. Unfortunately for me, the warriors recognized me as Albus' companion and started slinging rocks towards me. I don't think they meant to harm me, just drive me off. I managed to swerve away but one of the stones barely clipped my wing. I decided to disapparate out of their line of sight and ended up in the birch."

"And let me guess. Between the injury and the energy expended disapparating you were too weak to fly back to the castle. Ooh those centaurs are going to catch some major hell over this. I believe Albus and I should pay a visit to the new herd leader and inform him of our feelings about harming wizard friendly creatures." Drakkara finished for her injured friend. Now she was very glad of the adrenaline and claustrophobia that had brought her out for a stroll this night. She didn't want to think of a newly reborn Fawkes stranded in the forest, especially so close to the suspicious and now violent centaurs.

The phoenix crooned agreement to both her conclusion and sentiment and let his head drop back into the carrier to curve around beside his injured wing. "Yes, I think a visit might be appropriate. If this new leader riles the warriors up they might start in on the owls or the childrens familiars who sometimes wander in the forest. Let alone what they might do if your mate were to spend a night of transformation in there. Don't get me wrong, I normally like the centaurs but the last few years they've become more reclusive. The incident in Harry's first year…"

Drakkara shushed the phoenix before he could continue. "Hush Fawkes, conserve your strength. I remember you telling me about that. Voldemort slaying the unicorns and feeding on their blood would have infuriated the centaurs, as well as Harry being allowed to ride to safety on a centaur warrior's back."

There was no more need for conversation between the woman and phoenix and Drakkara picked up the pace as she felt the heat steadily rising from the carrier on her chest. By the time the odd company passed back into the pasture near Hagrids cabin the woman knew Fawkes was going to burn before they got back into the castle. 'At least we're out of the forest now.' She thought to herself, hurrying towards the cabin where she could lay the now very uncomfortable heat of her friend down for his burning.

She stopped as soon as she reached the bare patch of ground in back of the hut and slid the carrier and its occupant off her shoulders, laying the magical creature down carefully. "Sorry old friend, you've gotten too hot for me to hold any longer, you'll have to burn here. I'll take you up to Albus when you've cooled off a bit."

Fawkes crooned his agreement softly, opening his onyx dark eyes to see his friend lower herself gracefully to the ground near him and beckon Fang to lay beside her. She patted and spoke softly to the dog as they waited, "Sometimes Fang old boy, I'd swear you had some magic in you. You're a wonderful pup, looking after our Fawkes. I wonder how you knew he was in there, did you see him fly off and not return? Hagrid will be proud of you when he hears about this."

Even as she praised the canine for his loyalty and effort to rescue Fawkes, her vibrantly colored eyes were trained on the phoenix. She watched as he lifted himself slightly, just enough to raise his wings, which were beginning to smolder. Once it reached that stage, a phoenix burning was a fairly fast affair. He smoldered and a pure, sweet smelling smoke issued from his body, then the flames appeared and quickly engulfed him. With a final bright flash the majestic phoenix was gone and in its place was a pile of ashes on the scorched dirt.

After giving the ashes a minute or so to cool off Drakkara leaned in and brushed them away from the softball sized baby bird that was attempting to shake his way out of the soot. "Well, it's been quite awhile since I've seen you like this my little friend. I rather think we should get you inside out of the cold now don't you?" She addressed the newborn phoenix as she lifted him up.

The small bird cooed at her, being unable to speak again this soon and she smiled and stroked the scarlet fuzz on his head. With nowhere else to conveniently place the baby phoenix she pulled the neckline of her jumper out and tucked the little bundle into her bra while muttering under her breath. "If you ever tell anyone I let you ride about under my shirt I will transfigure you into a common pigeon and let you loose in Hyde Park, are we clear on that?" With no response forthcoming from the phoenix and feeling distinctly embarrassed at having a sentient creature she considered a friend tucked between her breasts Drakkara swiftly gave Fang a command to go and sleep under the cabin steps and headed back towards the castle.

The violet-eyed woman made the trip to the headmaster's office in good time and gave her password to the gargoyle before stepping onto the revolving stairs. She did not like the thought of disturbing the old wizard's sleep and was relieved to see light coming from the crack under his office door when she stepped onto the landing. Albus must not have been looking for a visitor though, as she had to knock on the door before being called into the office.

When she saw Severus sitting across from her mentor, Drakkara felt a little more tension ease out of her. The potions master could tell both herself and Albus anything that happened at the Death Eater meeting and she wouldn't have to ask Harry to relive it. "Hello Albus, Severus. I should have expected I'd find you both here." She greeted the men as she sank into the chair beside her colleague.

"Really my dear? Did Harry have a vision of tonight's events?" The white-haired man asked as he poured a cup of tea for her from the service on his desk.

Drakkara nodded and took the cup, sipping the hot drink before replying. "Yes, an hour or so ago. It was a rather bad one as far as the amount of pain he was in when I arrived in the dorm room, but he said he hadn't seen anything that couldn't wait for morning to discuss. I actually only came up here to deliver someone you may have missed and pass along information from him."

It was refreshing to see the elderly wizard with a confused look on his face, she decided as she set her teacup down and excused herself to a corner. She reached down into the neckline of her jumper and attempted to remove the baby phoenix without much success. "Oh come on Fawkes, this is embarrassing enough, just come out already." She muttered down at the ball of downy fuzz nestled securely against her body and quite unwilling to be removed from his impromptu nest.

She felt the weight of two pairs of eyes on her back and decided to retreat from sight altogether before further arguing with the phoenix. "Eh, I'll be back in a moment." She said to the two men who were eyeing her with confused amusement.

Once locked in Albus' bathroom away from nosy colleagues and paintings she was able to lift her blouse and extract the sleeping bird after gently removing his tiny claws from her bra. "You just had to make a big production out of it didn't you? You realize those two are going to be laughing at me for weeks about this? Not to mention they'll have to pass on the joke to Siri and Remy." She would've continued her exasperated rant but the little bird woke up and looked at her with his big, innocent black eyes. Sighing deeply and shaking her head, Drakkara fixed her jumper and left the bathroom with the phoenix cradled in her hands, cooing sweetly as she petted his scarlet fuzzed head.

When the two men saw their friend returning with her small burden they couldn't help but chuckle as they realized what had happened, or rather Albus giggled and Severus smirked annoyingly. "I'd suggest you quit laughing and remove those disgustingly amused looks from your faces if you'd like to remain human males. I assure you my predicament wasn't that funny." She said in a deadpan tone, though her lips were curved in a slight smile.

Paying no heed to the woman's threat, the headmaster got up from his chair still chuckling and proceeded to take off his night cap and transfigure it into a soft nest like bundle of cloth which he placed in the clean ash basin of Fawkes perch. Drakkara laid the baby bird into his new home and placed a warming charm on the cloth before retaking her seat. "Now my dear girl, how did you come to have my newly reborn companion this evening? I was sure he had a few days left before his burning." Albus asked lightly when he joined his colleagues.

Drakkara took a sip of her tea and leaned back as she related the events of her night from the time she, Remus, and Sirius had been awakened by Ron setting off the password alarm to their suite. Her pride in Harry's friends was evident as she discussed with her colleagues how the quartet of boys handled their roommate's distress and the information she'd given them about the situation.

She gave particular credit to Fang for his effort to alert someone and then leading herself to the weakened phoenix when she came to that part of the tale and then repeated Fawkes story which brought an angry gleam to the headmaster's normally twinkling eyes. The violet-eyed woman ended by suggesting that a visit be paid to the centaurs in the near future and waited for his response.

"I believe the suggestion has merit Headmaster. If we allow even this one discrepancy there is no telling what the centaurs will do next. There are many creatures here touched by magic, and Salazar forbid an angry centaur should come across any of those members of staff who go into the forest. Floriana Sprout and myself make regular forays for different plants, and I imagine Remus and Sirius will spend at least one full moon prowling in there." Severus spoke up.

The headmaster nodded and cast his eyes toward his beloved avian companion for a moment before he replied. "Yes, I agree. I would like to wait until Hagrid returns next month as he has always gotten on well with the centaurs. Until that time, I believe we should renew the warning to the students about going into the forest and Drakkara, perhaps you could pass the word among the magical creatures in the castle to stay away until we resolve the matter."

Both professors nodded their agreement with the plan and were about to turn their conversation to other topics when a pained expression appeared suddenly on Drakkara's face. When Albus asked what was wrong she took a deep breath and replied, "I just realized that the quickest way to pass information among the various magical creatures in the castle is to talk to Mrs. Norris. That bloody beast knows them all." The woman's pained expression turned into one of supreme annoyance as her friends once again got a good laugh at her expense.

After spending another half an hour or so discussing the events of the evening and listening to Severus' report of the Death Eater meeting the two younger professors left the older wizard to his rest. Drakkara let Severus take the floo first, having noticed him moving carefully and favoring his right leg when he stood. She expected him to go to the infirmary and was worried and annoyed when he called for the green flames to take him to his own quarters instead.

With a growl in her throat and muttering about the mans stubbornness she said a last goodnight to the headmaster and readied the floo, calling her destination as she stepped into the fire. After a thankfully short swirling journey through the castles floo network she landed with a thud in the potions masters quarters to find her colleague attempting to get up off the floor in front of the fireplace. Obviously, his injured leg had collapsed when he landed and sent him sprawling.

"You're a bloody stubborn idiot Severus. You should have flooed to the infirmary so that Poppy could heal you." She stated as she stepped off of the hearth and knelt beside her injured friend.

Severus looked up and attempted to give her one of his patented death glares, to which he got only an arched eyebrow and a wand drawn on him in response. Drakkara muttered _"Mobilicorpus" _and the now indignant man floated up off the floor to hover in front of her. She turned, maintaining the spell by pointing the wand at him over her shoulder, and led the way through the living room and into his bedroom where she laid him on the bed with a gentle wave of her wand. "Where do you keep your healing potions?" She asked in a business like tone, as if she played mediwitch to her colleagues as a matter of course.

The onyx-eyed man growled, his pride bristling at having to be tended to. He opened his mouth, started to dismiss her help as unnecessary, but caught the look in her eyes and sighed before replying, "The Xaler draught and Skele-mend are in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom, both are labeled."

She nodded and left the room for a few moments, during which Severus could hear her rummaging through the dozens of healing medicines he kept on hand for occasions such as these. The raven-haired woman returned with the requested potions and handed them over. She had a sad look on her face as she watched him down the liquids and grimace at their taste. "I don't need or want your pity Drakkara." He said quietly after seeing the expression.

"I wasn't offering it Severus. It's just depressing to see all those jars and vials of healing remedies and knowing you've probably had to use them all since _his_ return. No, I don't pity you, but I am grateful and appreciative of the work you do." Drakkara replied in an equally quiet voice.

He was obviously uncomfortable with her words and huffed out, "Sentimental as a Hufflepuff. Go on with you then Kara, I'll be fine now that I've taken the potions."

The violet-eyed woman shook her head and smiled softly. "I'm a woman, not a Hufflepuff, and if you weren't already flat on your back with injuries I'd put you there for that insult. As it is, what else do you need? I know there's more to your injuries than a couple cracked ribs and a sprained knee."

Severus glared, inwardly cursing the woman's keen eyes. "It's nothing Kara, don't worry about it." He said, hoping she wouldn't pursue the matter. He really didn't want her seeing and fussing over the injury on his back. He was fiercely independent and hated anyone seeing him in less than perfect condition, but having this woman out of anyone tending to his injuries brought old feelings of guilt and self hatred rushing back to him.

She pursed her lips and arched one delicate eyebrow. "Severus, do not lie to me. You're uncomfortable on your back, which means there's something wrong with it. Merlin knows you've got potions and salves for just about everything in that cabinet so if you need me to put something on it, tell me. You know me well enough to know I'll vanish your clothes if I have to."

"Damn it woman, you don't know when to leave well enough alone do you? Fine, go get the bloody jar of antiseptic healing salve. It's the red one with a silver lid." He said angrily and watched her turn and leave before he stood and jerkily removed his robes and the black shirt he wore beneath. By the time she returned he had managed to strip down to boxer shorts and climb back into bed, leaving his back exposed while keeping himself covered below the waist.

Drakkara started cursing, fluently, in more languages than Severus could claim to know when she saw the state of his back. The milk pale flesh had been reduced to a throbbing, bleeding mass of welts. Each welt was approximately a quarter inch wide and ranged from three to twelve inches in length. "Lashing hex or did the sadistic fucking bastard actually take a cat o nine tails to you?" She asked, her voice low pitched with icy hatred laced through it as she accurately diagnosed the cause of his injury.

He felt her weight settle on the bed next to him and her soft hand, covered in healing salve, gently smooth over his right shoulder. "Hex of course, the Dark Lord would never demean himself by using a muggle weapon. As you can tell, he held it on me for a while. It's no wonder Potter was hurting badly with the sheer number of pain curses he was throwing around tonight." The raven-haired man replied as he felt the pain in his back ease a little more with each pass of Drakkara's hand.

The violet-eyed woman made a soft noise of agreement as she continued spreading the potent healing salve over the potions master's back. Without thinking about it, she allowed some of her own healing powers to surface and transfer to the injured man. The combined effect of the potions, salve, and healing magic soon had the usually paranoid and wary spy sleeping deeply.

When she'd finished with the salve Drakkara put the jar away and doused the wall sconces with a wave of her wand before flooing back to her suite. She entered her trunk in the dark and changed back into her previously abandoned nightgown before making her way to the bedroom she shared with Remus and crawling under the thick blankets to cuddle up with her mate for the rest of the night.


End file.
